Exceeding Expectations
by issamalv
Summary: Sequel to Custody. While Momo and Momiji are still getting to know each other and must face the challenges of their new life together, Hiro is presented with a challenge in the form of an order that involves both of the bunnies as well.
1. Awake

He checked the time for the thousandth time and sighed loudly. It was well past midnight. So far he'd been unable to fall asleep.__

"_**It is time for you to start thinking about your future, Hiro-kun."**_

Those words kept coming back to him even hours after they became the opening statement of the most important announcement given to him in his life. That afternoon he had to listen quietly as he was officially informed of the family's expectations of what he should become and do, cutting off any possible personal choices. He was told that he should feel flattered for being appointed to that specific position within the family businesses, but… It wasn't that he was completely displeased with their plans; he just felt manipulated. It is one thing to do something because you want to do it, and another one to do it because of an order. He decided that rather than obeying, he should see this as an exciting challenge and an opportunity. He just wished they had found a nicer way to tell him.

Akito's patronizing demeanor and the sympathetic smile on her face the whole time as she spoke fueled his uneasiness and anger, overriding any other emotions, excepting one…

"_**Did you know? Momo-chan is back from Germany. Maybe you should pay her and Momiji-kun a visit one of these days"**_

When he was almost at the door, she had to make _that suggestion._ As if he wasn't in enough mental turmoil already! He was perfectly aware that it wasn't just a passing comment, but in fact a veiled order that went beyond a simple social call.

It was a hint. One of the most important events of his future life would involve one of the bunnies.

The fact that he had yet to see that person again after such a long absence added to the complexity of the problem. He never knew her well enough in the past, so he had no idea of what she was like either now nor then. He had no way of making a guess about whether or not things would work out for good…

…and then he had to run into her brother.

He couldn't help it but to remember that this particular set of siblings looked remarkably alike. Or so people said. He kept staring at his cousin's face the whole time as he spoke to him, unsuccessfully trying to picture in his mind a girl version of Momiji. It was scary after a couple of minutes, so he decided to stop.

He knew that Akito presented the bait to him disguised as an imposition to see if he could measure up to the challenge. He also knew that he had the intelligence and the qualifications required, and that she was aware of that fact as well. He had no intention of backing off. He was determined to prove to everyone that they had been right in choosing him. He would do everything and anything that needed to be done in order to accomplish that.

He didn't want to make anyone else do things because they had to. It was bad enough that he was being forced to mold his life into this perfect plan created for him without taking him into account. He used to have dreams and expectations too, not that they mattered now. The image that he had of his future until that morning was fading away with every passing minute. He couldn't submit anyone else to that same experience… especially not someone who was supposed to play an important role in this predesigned future of his.

Even before he reached his home that night he decided that he was going to make things happen because they both wanted to do it. That would surely take longer, and he knew that he was in for a painful process as well, but it didn't matter.

He would take over the family's law firm and have a successful career, he'd marry well and right and he'd prove to the world that he could do everything he set himself to do…


	2. Homework and pancakes

-"Nii-san, you look tired. Why don't you go to bed? I can finish this on my own." Momo suggested after Momiji readjusted his sitting position for the third time in the last half hour. She could see clearly how exhausted he was, despite his efforts to look enthusiastic helping her with her homework. She'd love to spend her time with her brother doing something else, but she desperately needed the help. It was frustrating for her, having to rely on someone else for something as simple as school work. She never had that kind of a problem before, and now… Momo recognized all they'd been teaching her lately in school; she was just unfamiliar with the Japanese terminology for all that. She was a fast learner, but she required tutoring to get the foreign words into her brain.

-"No" his reply cut off any arguments. "You… we need to get this done tonight, right? We're almost done."

-"But…" she started again, even though she knew it to be useless. She'd learned a fact in the month she'd been living with her brother: once he set himself to do something, he did it without fail. Taking that into consideration, she wondered how it was possible that he had given up on Tohru and was also willing to let go of his sister just a couple of months ago.

-"No 'buts'. I am tired, but I don't mind helping you. I really want to do it." It was true. He didn't really mind helping her. After all, with all the work he'd been having lately, it was becoming more difficult to spend as much time with her as he'd like. He regretted that, of course, but right at that moment in time he was in the middle of an important negotiation and he couldn't help it. He had to work long hours every day going over every little detail of the transaction. He hoped that it could be over soon. He didn't bring Momo back to Japan only to have her spend her time alone, waiting for him at home.

Momo nodded. She knew that he was being honest. Besides, he'd been working long hours lately, and this was their only chance to spend quality time as a family, even if it was going over school work. Strengthening her resolution, she concentrated back on the book in front of her, listening intently to the soothing voice of her brother.

--

Next morning, Momiji woke up to the sweet smell of pancakes. Mouth watering in anticipation, he reached the kitchen in record time, still wearing his pajamas. Momo was already dressed in her school uniform, turning a pancake over. Momiji yawned.

-"You're still tired" she greeted him in German. "Have you noticed that you overslept? You're usually ready to go to work at this time in the morning."

-"I'm dead tired" he agreed in slurred Japanese.

-"I'm sorry. If you didn't have to stay up late every night you could get a proper night's rest" she apologized sincerely while she poured the last of the mix into the frying pan.

-"We've been through this before" he sat on one of the high chairs in front of the bar that served as dining room most of the times. He had a clear view of his sister in front of him. "I told you that I don't mind. I like to do it so that we can spend some time together. I should be apologizing instead. It seems that I can never get back home on time. I usually keep you waiting for me to have dinner together."

-"And I've already told you too that I don't mind. I worry about you, though. I get scared when you take too long to get back…" Despite having her brother with her, the death of their parents was still too fresh in her mind. She had yet to get over the fear of losing someone else. Every time that she heard a siren, she froze in panic.

Momo put a pile of pancakes in front of her brother, and then she sat down next to him, an identical plate in front of her. As soon as they'd said the blessing, Momo proceeded to drench her pancakes in maple syrup, while Momiji waited impatiently for her to be done.

-"Don't worry. Nothing's going to happen to me" he said. He grabbed the syrup and started to pour it over his pancakes until they were in the same condition as his sister's. As soon as he was done, he started to eat happily. His voice usually had a soothing effect on her, but this time it was the opposite. Hearing him speak reminded her of her father: Momiji had the same voice, and right then it reminded her of her loss.

-"You can't stop me from worrying or being scared. What am I going to do if something happens to you? What if you get sick?" she told him of her greatest fear openly. It was easy talking to Momiji. He always listened to what she said. His fork stopped before it reached his mouth with more food. He didn't like seeing her so upset.

-"I'll be fine" he repeated. Momiji wanted to ease her worries away, but he knew better than to take things for granted… "But…" he started. He had to say it, just in case. "…if something does happen, you know that you have our family here to go to."

-"I'd rather call Grandma" she said. "I'm not that familiar with the Soumas. So far, I've only seen a few of them, and only because they happen to live nearby." Granted, she had never expected them to throw a welcome party for her, but it was odd that so few had dropped by to say hi.

-"I met Hiro-kun yesterday. He asked me about you" he told her. Momiji made a mental note to tell his cousins that they could finally visit Momo. He'd asked them to give her some time to get settled, but apparently Momo felt rejected. He smiled. Had it been up to their cousins, they would've come to see her as soon as they heard the news.

-"Hiro-chan? I remember him and Kisa-chan from school. How are they?" She remembered teachers used to tell her about how brilliant Hiro-chan was and how he could've done so much better in school if only he decided to make a little extra effort.

-"Hiro's doing fine, or so it seems. Kisa-chan moved to go to college, so I don't know much about her, but apparently she's doing well too." He remembered the day when Kisa-chan visited him to tell him that she was going away. She'd been really excited. Hiro-kun on the other hand…

-"She moved? Where did she go?" Momo was really curious.

-"She went to America. I don't remember the exact location, but she's been there a year and a half already. I was told that she spent the first year perfecting her English, but apparently she's enrolled in the regular classes now." Tohru kept in touch with Kisa-chan regularly, and she'd told him all he knew. Kisa-chan never called nor wrote to anyone else. She didn't even come to visit during school breaks or vacations.

-"That's great!" Momo felt really happy for her cousin, and she knew by her own experience how exciting and scary it was to start over in a new city, a new school. She checked the clock in front of them on the wall. "Let's have breakfast before we are both late."

-"By the way, Hiro-kun said that I look 'plump', and I blamed you" he commented to her in between mouthfuls of pancakes.

-"Blame me all you want, I'm still making you eat properly" she countered, half joking. As soon as she moved in with her brother she'd taken over herself to do all the cooking. She decided that it was the least she could do to show him how much she loved him and appreciated everything he did for her. Her best reward was the smile on his face while he ate each and every meal.

-"You're over-feeding me" he mock complained.

-"Maybe" she conceded. "But you're eating everything I give you anyway, so I know that you don't really mind."

-"I can't help it. You're a great cook." Momo was used by now to his compliments. Momiji always told her what he thought. He was smiling at her with his eyes, his mouth busy with breakfast.

-"Nii-san, I don't want to repeat myself, so I'm just reminding you that you're still wearing your pajamas and you have a meeting in less than an hour. Ritsu-kun will be here to pick you up in a few minutes." Momiji glanced at the clock and almost choked when he saw the time. Both of them were ready to go half an hour later when their cousin arrived.


	3. Walking home

A lone girl walked back home on a regular school day. She wore a plain navy coat over her uniform and carried a bag full of books that hung from one of her shoulders. She sighed, defeated, and ran an anxious hand through her hair. She had never, not even for a second, regretted her decision to move back to Japan. Living with her brother turned out to be the best thing that could've happened to her after the death of her parents. However, on days like these, some of the consequences of that decision seemed too big of a problem for her.

Momo asked that day at school if they had a tutoring program she could enroll in. She appreciated the help she got from her brother, but she felt guilty for having him spending his nights teaching her what she should be able to figure out on her own. He was working longer hours than usual due to some upcoming business deal that was very important for their company, and she felt that she needed to support him the best she could. That was the reason why she wouldn't complain for having to wait alone for him to have dinner together. She knew that he felt guilty as well for that, but not matter how many times she tried to make him believe that she didn't mind, it never worked. So, she decided to get help on her homework by herself, at the very least. They happened to have study groups in her school, but they couldn't fit her in any of them because her schedule was already full and her 'special circumstances' required personalized attention. Or so they said. They suggested that she got paired with a classmate after school, a friend…

...now she only needed to get one. She found herself missing her friends back in Germany, her violin duet partner Heidi, and out of her whole family, she missed Grandma the most. It didn't help much that Momo called her every other day, it just wasn't the same. She wished that she was better able to make new friends at her new school, but it wasn't that easy when she had so much trouble keeping up with a conversation and had to overcome her shyness as well.

Despite that, the knowledge that her brother loved her helped her to get through it all. He said it often enough, but he still felt uncomfortable whenever she tried to express her feelings through touch. She was used to hugging and touching the people she loved, and it made her a little sad to feel Momiji getting uncomfortable every time she clung to him. She wished that he could get used to her displays of affection soon.

She took a detour on her way home to stop at the dry cleaner's. Momiji had told her several times before that the maid could do that, but she liked to take care of her brother and everything about him herself. The amount of money they spent getting Momiji's suits cleaned surprised her at first, but he said that it was a small price to look presentable at work. Still, Momo felt that it was expensive. Besides, the suits that she had to pick up that day were already a couple of inches too short for him. She needed him to make the time to go shopping. He grew up since Christmas, and he was in desperate need of a new wardrobe, from shirts to suits and even coats. Since she didn't like the stern style he wore now, she decided to tag along this time to make sure that he bought something that looked classy and professional without making him look older than he was… or boring. Not that he needed much help. She figured that her brother would look great closing a deal while wearing nothing but rags, but still… She sighed. She supposed that it was the way the world worked, but she missed the colorful clothes that her brother used to wear when he was a boy.

Where had that boy gone to? Momiji didn't laugh as easily as before, though his eyes laughed too whenever he did. She knew that he felt content, but something was still missing, and she sensed that it was related to Tohru-chan. She hadn't seen her since she got back. Since before she arrived, they kept in touch through the phone only. She knew that Tohru-chan was in a relationship with Kyo-kun now, so she guessed that it was the reason she didn't visit her at home. Momo felt hesitant, but she had to call her that night to ask yet another favor from the older girl. There were some things that her brother couldn't help her with, however well intentioned he was. She giggled when she tried to imagine her brother's face when she explained to him what she needed Tohru-chan's help for.

It was almost time to leave for the day, and Momiji was still trapped inside his office. The growing stack of documents to approve, edit and sign ruined his mood since early in the morning, so his secretary decided to make herself invisible for the day. He wanted to get up and leave, but he knew that he had no choice but to be late for dinner again. He ran both hands though his hair and buried his face in between them, closing his eyes and breathing slowly. He groaned when he heard someone knocking. So much for a moment of peace… He lifted his face and sat straight before letting in whoever was on the other side of the door.

The person who entered was the last one he expected to see.

-"Hiro-kun?"


	4. A glimpse of the future

It was Hiro indeed. There was no mistaking the smirk on his face though he greeted him politely. Momiji tried unsuccessfully to figure out a reason for his presence in his office, so it took him a couple of minutes to realize that Hiro was waiting for him to say something. Still unable to formulate an elaborated reply, he merely raised an eyebrow together with an ever useful 'huh?'

-"You haven't seen me in a week and that's the best greeting that you can come up with? Your brain seems to have stopped working for the day already, or wait… is this somehow related to the Bunny Girl? Is she rubbing off on you and you're forgetting how to speak too?" Hiro sat down in front of his cousin, not waiting for him to make the invitation.

-"Bunny Girl?" Momiji smiled, amused. It was to be expected: Hiro-kun coming up with a nickname for his sister. He decided to turn the joke against him. "I see… then, shall I call Hinata-chan 'Hiro's little lamb'?" Hiro's initial reply was a scowl. Then he chuckled.

-"Fair enough" Hiro conceded. "I suppose I should call your sister Momo, then. How is she doing, anyway?"

-"She's fine, though she's still struggling to keep up with school" Momiji answered.

-"Is she? It must be hard for her." Hiro paused, remembering something. "Wait… isn't she going to the same school you and I went to?" Momiji nodded. "They have study groups there. Why doesn't she ask a counselor about it?"

-"She already did. They told her today that they can't fit her into any of the groups because of her special circumstances." Momiji recalled the conversation with Momo over the phone that afternoon, when she called him to let him know that she was home. Hiro was shocked to hear the news.

-"Special circumstances? Sounds more like an excuse to me. They don't want to make a little more effort." Hiro saw Momiji's already tired face and remembered that his cousin used to help Momo with her homework after work. "Aren't you helping her anymore?"

-"I am, but by the time I get home and we're done with dinner, there's hardly any time left to go over a couple of subjects before she makes me go to bed. She feels guilty for keeping me up late at night" Momiji replied, a hint of frustration in his voice.

-"I can help…" Hiro offered in a whisper. He thought about it during the past week, and he made a decision. He had to get close to them and in good terms anyway, so he might as well start now rather than look for an opportunity in the future.

-"What did you say?" Momiji couldn't believe his ears. His question only served to make Hiro uncomfortable. He had decided to do it, but that didn't make it any easier for him. He never offered help to anyone.

-"I can help her with her schoolwork" he repeated a little louder. "I've done it before. I used to help in a study group. This shouldn't be any different." It was true. Halfway through his first year of high school, Mayu-chan-sensei had somehow persuaded him to lead a study group. It turned out that he had a talent for teaching that even he wasn't aware of. None of his cousins had gone to school with him, so they didn't know. They probably wouldn't have believed it anyway. It was so unlike the Hiro they knew. He didn't want to talk about it, but Momiji's question made him feel the need to state his qualifications. It was a weird situation for him. He never explained himself to anyone either.

-"You did?" Momiji feigned surprise. He'd known of course. Mayu told him about Hiro's involvement in the program, about his dedication and hard work. It didn't surprise him back then. He had proposed his name to Mayu when he heard that she needed students to participate in the program. He knew that Hiro possessed above average intelligence, but he never made it to the first place in the school rank simply because he didn't feel like it. It all changed after he got serious with the study group. Shortly after he started tutoring his peers, someone asked him why he didn't get better grades when it was obvious that he had the potential to do it. Hiro saw that as a challenge. He had something to prove, so he decided to show the rest of the school that he actually had the brains to get the first place, which he held for two and a half years until his graduation almost a year ago. Graduating on top of his class certainly caught Akito's attention, which led to Hiro's current situation.

-"Will you? That'd be great!" The relief in Momiji's voice told Hiro that he'd made the right decision. It was a good start. Truth be told, he'd always liked his cousin, but in the past he used to think that he wasn't as happy as he wanted everybody to believe. He liked the Momiji in front of him better. He felt at ease talking to him, his fair, even tempered nature so opposite to his own. He liked to think that they'd balance each other well in the future.

'Good. If we get along now everything will be easier later.'

-"Don't mention it." He meant it. "I should warn you, though: I don't know a word in German." He could speak English fairly well, having spent the past semester perfecting it, but that was a far as his knowledge of foreign languages went.

-"I know, but at least you're willing to give it a try" Momiji replied gratefully. "You won't be having much trouble. Momo is a fast learner." Hiro just nodded. He still couldn't believe that he was going to go through with it. He decided to change the topic.

-"I came to give you this." Hiro handed his cousin a large and thick envelope. Momiji took it, curious, and proceeded to open it immediately. He lifted his face to Hiro again when he saw the documents that had been inside.

-"How did you end up delivering this to me?" It didn't make sense. It was highly classified information, and it was unlikely that someone in the law firm just handed it to a random family member to deliver it. Furthermore, this particular information came directly from the President of the firm…

-"My boss asked me to bring it to you." Hiro said in a tone of voice that made it clear that he was stating the obvious for Momiji's benefit.

-"Your boss? Are you working in the law firm now?" Momiji couldn't believe it. 'What is he doing working there?'

-"I'm his assistant until I start college in the fall", Hiro explained. Saying the words made it all so real… Once he started attending university, there was no going back. "Don't worry, though. Unlike you, I've not become a slave yet. I get off the office on time." He felt like he was having a glimpse of his own future when he saw his cousin trapped in an office, wearing a constricting tie and working unpaid overtime when he knew that he really wanted to go home for the day. Momiji noticed his worried expression.

-"It's not as bad as it seems, Hiro-kun." His cousin shot him a questioning look. "I'm not a slave as you think. This is only temporary." Hiro answered with a nod, unconvinced. "So, how's work?"

-"I've only been there for a week now, but I like it so far." It was true. Hopefully he could keep on liking it as he got more involved in his future role. "I'll be calling Momo…-chan" he added quickly, reminding himself to add the honorific, "…to see what time is convenient for the both of us… if that's ok with you."

-"Sure! Do you have our number?" Momiji asked, but he grabbed a piece of paper and started to write it down before his cousin had a chance to answer. "I'll call her to let her know. Thanks again!" Momiji handed the paper to his cousin, looking relieved. A thought crossed his mind. "Hiro-kun…" his cousin looked up from the paper to see him. "How am I going to pay it back to you?"

-"I'm not rich like you, but I don't need money either. I want to talk about it with your sister instead, since she's the one I'll be working with." He stood up, ready to leave. "I'll call her sometime after dinner." Momiji nodded. When Hiro reached the door, he paused for a moment.

-"Don't work yourself to death. I have no intention of taking care of the Bunny Girl just yet." That said, he left his cousin's office without turning back.


	5. Second first time

One thing was for sure: she didn't expect a simple call to be so… The man on the phone was much closer to her age than the rest of the cousins she'd met so far, and yet, he had one of those deep voices that she loved so much. Apparently, it was a family trait.

It all started that afternoon when Momiji called her…

-"Momo-chan" he greeted.

-"Nii-chan?" she had decided to call him 'nii-san' when she first moved, but she kept slipping back to the old name often. Momiji didn't seem to mind. "What is it? Are you going to be late again tonight?" The disappointment in her voice made Momiji flinch guiltily.

-"Mmmmm… yeah. Sorry about that." He sighed. There was no point in elaborating on an excuse. He'd used them all already. He changed the topic, speaking in a conversational tone. "Actually, I called to tell you something else. I found someone to help you out with your schoolwork."

-"Really? That's great! Is she a friend of yours?" Momiji laughed.

-"Actually, your new tutor is a 'he' and he's more than just a friend. He's our cousin."

-"Really? Who is he?"

-"You remember Hiro-kun? We talked about him the other day."

-"Hiro-kun?" She'd been trying to come up with a mental picture of her cousin for a whole week, but so far she could only remember a couple of moments and some of his features, but not a whole face. "Sure! We went to the same school, but he was in an upper grade."

-"He should have. He graduated from high school last year. He and I went to the same school you're in now."

-"I know." When she started to go to school, a couple of teachers asked her if she was related to _the_ Soumas. She had a lot of fun at the beginning looking at her teachers' faces when they found out that she was Momiji's sister. They told her that she should live up to her family name, since her brother and her cousins were always on top of their classes. It was great to learn about the academic achievements of her relatives, but it also felt like a burden. She couldn't allow herself to become a smudge on this perfect picture. "So, how come he's helping me out?"

-"Believe it or not, he volunteered. I should've thought of asking him before, but he beat me to it."

-"Why is it so hard to believe that he volunteered?" 'What kind of person is he?' She wished that she could remember more about him. He looked serious back then, but she didn't think much about it.

-"You'll get to know him better, and then you'll understand." He offered no further explanation. Hiro wasn't that bad to deal with, and besides, even taking his well-known bad temper into account, he was sure that Momo-chan was more than able of handling him just right.

-"Ok." Though she didn't like it that her brother was enjoying the prospect of her finding out the reason by herself so funny, she decided that if he wasn't worried about it, then it shouldn't be that bad. "When are we starting?"

-"I don't know. He said he'll call you later today." Momo wondered how it would be like to have Hiro as a tutor. She hoped that he didn't get impatient easily, because she needed as much help as she could get. Her brother's voice interrupted her thoughts. "You know, I think that there's going to be a catch…"

-"A catch? Why?"

-"He said that he's going to arrange his payment with you" he explained.

-"His payment… I don't know how much we should pay. What if he wants to overcharge me?" Momiji could hear the uncertainty in her voice, and he thought it funny that she worried about money of all things.

-"He said that he doesn't need the money, so it must to be something else," he clarified.

-"Did he? Do I need to start worrying?" She had the feeling that whatever it was that Hiro wanted wouldn't be that bad. Still, she felt the need to ask for her brother's opinion. Momiji wasn't worried at all either. He trusted Hiro.

-"I don't think so. He doesn't seem to me like the kind of person who'd want to play tricks on people. He was serious when he told me about it." Momo felt more at ease now, but…

-"Then…" she left the unfinished question hanging in the air, not knowing what to expect.

-"I don't know." Momiji had no clue of what his cousin might want either. He'd heard his warning when he left the office a few minutes ago, but he didn't know whether or not he was supposed to. He knew somehow that there were hidden motivations behind his cousin's offer, and that they involved Momo, but he wasn't worried about it. He'd wait until the boy decided to let them know, whenever that might be. Until that time came… "Just tell me what he wants. I'm curious."

Later that afternoon, Momo ran to pick up the ringing phone. She answered absentmindedly in German in the rush of the moment, but the person on the other side of the line didn't mention it. He introduced himself and that was the moment when she knew: she liked him. Or at least, she liked his voice. She could only manage a broken reply in Japanese, more out of surprise rather than lack of vocabulary.

-"So, when do you want to start, Momo-chan?" He prompted her for a reply. Hiro muted the phone with his hand, and gave a quick glance over Hinata-chan's notebook, checking the answers. The girl sitting next to him was looking at her brother expectantly, but remained silent. He pointed out a mistake in one of the sums, and then gave her the correct answer by holding up three fingers.

-"How about tomorrow? It's late today already…" she said, checking the time. It didn't seem late to her, but she figured that since it was dinner time, he wouldn't want to go out for the night. On the other side, Hiro was looking at his watch too.

-"It's not late..." he said, mostly to himself, considering his options. True, he was dreading the moment, but at the same time he wanted to be done with the initial introductions and meet her already. So far, he liked her voice, despite the strong foreign accent making it a little difficult for him to figure out what she said. Still, it wasn't as bad as to being considered a 'special circumstance'.

-"You think so?" now she was getting excited. If only she could manage to make him visit… "Have you had dinner yet?" She crossed the fingers of both of her hands while she held the phone between her head and shoulder.

-"No. I think that we're having something delivered here. I'm not sure if mother has called to order it already." He said the last part to Hinata-chan mostly, and the little girl denied with her head as an answer. "It seems that she hasn't."

-"Why don't you come over, then? You can have dinner here with us." 'Say yes, say yes', she chanted in her mind. Momo didn't want to sound so eager, but she wanted him to go to her house badly. It was a weird situation, feeling so much anticipation for meeting a cousin. It had been six years! They knew about each other's existence, but that was as far as the relationship between them went before. The most attention she ever got from him when children, was an occasional wave goodbye when they happened to walk by each other at school. 'Why am I feeling this way? It's just his voice.'

-"Ok. I'll be there in 15 minutes." He sounded calm, but Hiro was inwardly anxious.

-"Great!", she replied with a giggle. Hiro smiled despite his nervousness. She sounded genuinely pleased.

Hiro stood in front of the house a few minutes later. This wasn't the first time he came, in fact, he used to visit often, but the circumstances now were completely different. He was about to start something that he wasn't sure if or how he could handle. Sighing, he knocked on the door. Better to do it now before he lost his resolve.

A girl opened the door a moment later. Hiro couldn't help it but to feel both relieved and shocked. He had a vague memory of her mother, but he was sure that she was never as beautiful as the girl in front of him. She was Momiji's sister alright: there was no denying the uncanny resemblance. However, she being a girl made her a pretty version of Momiji, he decided. Her pale skin and blonde hair were just like her brother's, but Hiro thought that those features looked much better on Momo than on the former rabbit. She looked like a foreigner, but for some inexplicable reason, she felt familiar to him.

-"Come in! It's freezing outside!" She seemed terrified by the sight of his open jacket and lack of a scarf. Hiro snickered and stepped inside. She hurried to close the door.

-"It's not that cold…" He was interrupted by a kiss on his cheek from Momo. It surprised him, but in a nice way.

-"I'm so happy to have you here! It's been a long time since I last saw you!" And then, without warning, she hugged him. Hiro decided to return the gesture, despite his discomfort at the unexpected contact. He hesitantly pulled his hands out of his pockets, and then wrapped his arms around her. He noticed that he was only a couple of inches taller than her. 'Guess it was to be expected.'

-"It's good to see you again", he answered at last, and meant every word. It felt right to hold her and to be near her. She made him feel welcome and at ease. When they pulled apart, she was smiling. He loved her smile at first sight.

Momo helped him take off his jacket and hung it in a closet by the door. He waited for her. She looked at him in the eyes and smiled again. He smiled back, a mix of emotions showing on his face. She almost melted on the spot.

Both of them stood there, staring at each other, as if seeing the person in front of them for the first time. In a way, they were.

'So this is the woman Akito picked.' Hiro smiled again. It seemed to him now that Akito had chosen right.

He liked Momo already. In time maybe he could even get to… He cut off that thought from his mind.

Back when they were children, Hiro didn't pay attention to 'Momiji's sister' simply because he didn't feel like it. She was a little girl who just happened to be related to him. Hiro thought it funny how that distant relation had become a qualification and an advantage now.

'Momiji's sister' was not a 'little girl' anymore, and he decided that he liked Momo a whole lot more now.

Momo couldn't believe her eyes: so this was her cousin Hiro. She couldn't stop staring at him. She got more than she'd expected when she opened the door. He had the most beautiful eyes she'd seen in her life! His were big brown eyes with long lashes. The sandy hair was the same she remembered, though shorter now and neatly combed. When he took the jacket off, she discovered that he wasn't as thin as Momiji, but built. In fact, she'd liked the feeling of hugging him more than she wanted to admit to herself. This was her cousin! He wasn't as tall as her brother either, but she liked it. This way she could look him in the eyes easier.

'Hiro-chan' was not a 'boy' anymore, and she decided that she liked Hiro a whole lot more now.

-"You walked all the way from your house at night with only a jacket on? Aren't you cold?" She scolded him playfully as she did with Momiji on a daily basis. Hiro liked it that she worried about him. It was… nice.

-"I live just down the street, and it isn't that cold. Winter is almost over, or…"

"_**You know why I have to do this, right?" **_Akito's words came back to him at that moment._** "It's all because of that temper and sharp tongue of yours... Mind your words, Hiro-kun, or you'll never get her to like you enough."**_

Hiro bit off his sarcastic reply. Akito was right. Bitter comments came natural to him, even at that moment, but she didn't deserve that. He used to think that he wasn't that way anymore. What changed?

-"Is your brother back yet?" he asked instead. She denied it with her head.

-"No, he called to say that he'll be late for dinner." Hiro noticed the disappointment in her voice.

-"It's not like he wants to. When I saw him today, he looked more than ready to leave his office." Momo took the information in with a worried expression. He decided to lighten the mood. "He said that it's only temporary, though. Right?" His voice was playful, like that of someone his age should be. She nodded, and then smiled again. "So, Momo-chan, what is it that you need to go over today?"

-"Huh? Right! My homework! I was doing some math when you came, so my stuff is spread all over the dining room. This way!" He followed her.

-"I've been here many times before, you know? I won't get lost," he joked. She laughed and waited for him to catch up, then walked by his side the rest of the way.


	6. Bunny girl

Momiji walked into the warmth of his house to find it filled with Momo's voice and the smell of something delicious in the air. It was something familiar to him now: the feeling of contentment associated with getting home. She was talking to someone, which he found out when he heard another voice coming from the dining room. He went there to see who their visitor was.

Momo-chan sat at the table with none other than Hiro-kun. Momiji didn't expect him to visit so soon, but he felt relieved to see him there: that meant no more nightly lessons and more sleep time. Both teens looked up from some notes, and Momiji was shocked. It wasn't unusual for him to see Momo smiling, but Hiro-kun… He looked like he was definitely having fun. As soon as the boy saw him, he signaled for him to get closer, which he did mostly out of curiosity.

-"Momiji, please explain to this bunny here exactly what the difference is between this", he pointed to a kanji on a sheet of paper in front of him, "and this." Momiji looked to the other kanji that his cousin pointed at on Momo's notebook. He started laughing… a lot. The glare Momo sent in his general direction didn't help any.

Momo's complains and Hiro's threats finally succeeded in making him stop a few minutes later. Momiji used that opportunity to explain to his sister what it was that both men found so funny. She felt a little embarrassed for a moment, but then she started laughing, followed shortly by her cousin. Momiji shot him a surprised look. It seemed like ages ago since the last time he'd heard Hiro laugh that way, just for the fun of it.

-"Is dinner ready, Momo-chan?" Momo nodded, stifling a laugh. Her brother stood up and turned to Hiro. "You're staying for dinner, aren't you?" Hiro nodded, still smiling and trying hard not to start laughing again. Momiji turned to Momo once more. "We'll set the table for dinner now if that's ok with Hiro-sensei here." Hiro snorted, and Momiji thought that he heard the boy breath out a 'not you too', but it could've been his imagination. Momo started to get up, but Momiji stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "Momo, you did all the cooking, so now you stay here and practice that kanji. We don't want your teacher to laugh himself to death now, do we?" Momiji winked at her. Momo once more answered with a nod. Like Hiro, she was holding back her laughter. "Then come, Hiro-kun. You're helping me set the table." Hiro stood up and followed Momiji, all the time complaining about his cousin's rudeness and boldness to ask that the guest helped out with dinner.

Momo looked at them as they worked around her setting the table for three. They'd never had a guest for dinner before, but it felt nice to have someone else around. Out of the corner of her eye, she seized the chance to observe them carefully. Hiro carried himself with that same aristocratic air her brother had. However, he looked carefree in his casual clothes, as opposed to Momiji, who looked formal and professional in his business attire. Hiro's silent presence demanded that you kept at a respectful distance. She'd gone against that feeling, deciding that she liked him too much to stay away from him before she hugged him before. Her brother, on the other hand, inspired immediate trust and made you want to be friends with him. People couldn't help it but to like him, though he also gained their respect easily too.

They were all sitting at the table a few minutes later. The main topic of discussion was the only one that they had in common: school. Hiro made a few questions, Momo answered and made a few comments herself, Momiji told them a few anecdotes from his days as a student, and all in all, they had a great time. In between bites, Hiro had more than enough time to look at the siblings.

Their faces were the same at first sight, but after a moment he noticed some differences. She had cute little freckles scattered all over her nose and cheeks, so light in color that they almost went unnoticed, but still there. Her brother had only a couple left on the bridge of his nose. They had vanished over the years. Her big brown eyes barely hinted to her Japanese descent, while Momiji's eyes were more slitted and gave him an exotic look because of the lighter shade of brown. And of course, the one little fact that one of them was a boy and the other a girl. Besides that, they had the same blond hair, same pale skin, and even same gestures. That last one was a puzzle. How could that be possible, being that they didn't live together until a few weeks ago?

-"Now you know why I look 'plump', Hiro-kun." Momiji joked, winking at Momo. Hiro smirked, recalling that night when he'd said that to his cousin. He remembered the reason he'd given him back then.

-"You were right, Momo-chan is a good cook", Hiro conceded. He saw her blush at the compliment. She looked cute. He almost dismissed the idea, but reconsidered. If he really wanted it to work, he needed to let that kind of thoughts flow freely. "What is this, by the way? I'm not sure I've tried this before."

-"Lamb chops." Momo didn't catch the shock in Momiji's eyes, and nor the sick look on Hiro's face at the news. "It's a family recipe, the sauce, you see? Mama used to make it for us often. Do you like it?" Momo finally faced Hiro. Momiji almost said something, but stopped before he started. Hiro sent him a silent warning with his eyes.

-"I did. It's delicious" he said, but Momo heard no emotion in his voice. He kept quiet for some minutes, picking at his food, unable to take another bite. Momiji kept eating, if uneasily, but didn't say a word either.

-"What is it?" she asked after a while. She was afraid that she'd done something wrong. Hiro heard the worry in her question, but he couldn't answer. He was still struggling inside with some unfamiliar emotion. He was free now, so why did it feel so wrong? It made no sense to him.

-"She knows. You can tell her", Momiji said. Hiro nodded his acknowledgement of his cousin's statement. Momo was downright confused.

-"Did I say something wrong?" she whispered apologetically.

-"It's nothing", Hiro finally answered. "I just never had lamb before, so you surprised me. Silly, right?", he said in what he hoped to be a casual tone. Momo smiled again, apparently satisfied with his answer.

-"I hope you saved some room for dessert. I bought a cake!" She decided to ask Momiji about Hiro's reaction later, since it was clear to her that he knew the reason.

-"You bought a cake?" Momiji was obviously surprised. "What's the occasion?"

-"Do we need one?", she asked reply, back to her cheerful self already. "Maybe I just wanted to indulge your sweet tooth."

-"So that's how it goes. You keep feeding the rabbit sweets you know he can't resist." Hiro seemed back to his sarcastic normal self now. "You're evil", he accused in a serious voice, but the little smile on his face let her know that there was no spite on his statement. Momo smiled a little embarrassed. Hiro stood up. "I'll go get the cake. You said that it's in the fridge, right?" Momo said yes. Hiro left.

-"When did you say that?", Momiji asked.

-"You weren't here yet", she explained. "What happened?" Momiji knew what she was talking about, but he couldn't give her an answer. It was for Hiro to tell her if ever he trusted her enough.

-"Ask him. I can't tell you." He had the gift to say things in a way that left no room for an argument. This was one of those times. She gave up on him to give her an answer.

Momo got up too and headed for the kitchen. She found Hiro standing in front of the open refrigerator, cake balancing on one hand, and the other on the handle of the door. He looked back to see who'd come, and started explaining himself:

-"I remember a time when there was nothing in here but milk, sodas and a few desserts. That's one of the reasons why I liked to visit Momiji." He wasn't joking, though he kept his voice in a conversational tone. He closed the door and turned around, holding the cake with both hands now. Momo went to a drawer to get a knife.

-"I bet he was lonely back then…" Hiro understood the implied question and shrugged to her back. She turned around to face him again.

-"Who knows? Maybe he was, but he wouldn't let anyone know." She knew that he was saying the truth. "Anyway, it's good that you're here now." Momo averted her eyes shyly. "I mean, now he has you to indulge his sweet tooth and make this place livable," he elaborated.

-"Who said I did?" Hiro chose not to answer right away, so he headed back to the dining room with the cake. Momo followed. She had a funny feeling in her stomach now. It was one thing to hear Momiji say it, and another one to hear the same compliment from Hiro. The fact that he meant it made it more meaningful to her.

-"I can tell it was you who changed this place. The maids were never able to make this house a cozy home." Momiji heard the last part and shot them a questioning look.

-"What was that about?"

-"I was just telling Momo-chan here that this place looks and feels like a burrow now, and not just some inhabited hole." Momiji and Momo laughed a little at the comment. It occurred to Momo that maybe Hiro knew about the curse.

-"It does feel like a burrow." Momiji had to agree. He found the comparison funny. "Guess all the credit goes to the girl."

-"Bunny girl", he corrected in English, looking at Momo as he said the words. "It is official now," and he looked at Momiji as if daring him to object. Momiji ignored the bait. Momo found that she kind of liked the nickname, so she just smiled and kept eating her cake. Hiro went back to his own dessert, but he glanced at her every once in a while. Momiji caught him smiling at her more than once when their gazed met. Momo looked happy.

Momiji studied them from across the table. A smile came to his own lips as realization struck him.

'Momo has a little lamb'


	7. The fun spice

"_**How's the college application going? Have you received an answer yet?" She managed to make her question sound like she really cared.**_

"_**That's right! The college application! Where was it for?" He knew what they were about to say to Hiro, but he still wanted to know the name of the place.**_

Hiro crumpled the paper in his fist. It was good news, yet he felt cheated. What good was it for him to get this letter now that he'd been denied the chance to go? He'd been waiting for it for months, and now that he had been accepted he had to let the opportunity pass him by.

Of course he could just leave and forget about Akito and her plans, but for some reason, he found that deep down, he wanted to go along with her. He'd been willing to gamble his future for a chance to get back someone he considered the most important person in his life for years, though he'd known all along that the chances were few. He could see the signs clearly now: no letters, no phone calls, no e-mails, nothing… and no answer to his attempts to reach her either. Even Tohru knew more about her than him. Almost two years after she left, he came to the conclusion that it was really over. She was not coming back… at least not back to him.

He had to let go of Kisa for good.

He could understand a little her reasons for not keeping in touch. She was finally free now, living a new life by herself in a place across the world where she could be whoever she wanted to be. Hiro smirked, the irony of the situation stabbing him once more. He couldn't blame her at all.

- -

That night, Hiro found himself staring at a plate for the third time in a week.

-"Something wrong, Hiro-kun?" asked Momiji from across the table. Hiro had the same expression on his face every time dinner was served during the past two weeks. It was as if he was trying to muster the courage to try it. Of course, that look always disappeared as soon as he took the first bite, but still…

-"Nothing", he hastily replied, and then proceeded to pick a potato with his fork. He'd decided days ago to always go for the safest looking item first. Tonight, though, he really wanted to know. "Momo… -chan", he quickly corrected. Momo turned to look at him. He was trying to find the right words to ask, but… Anyway, it wouldn't hurt to be blunt. After all, it was kind of expected of him. "What exactly is this?" He pointed to the meat in front of him with his knife.

-"Schweinebraten", she replied happily, satisfied with herself. If possible, Hiro looked even more puzzled. Momo giggled. "Don't worry. It's pork roast." He relaxed visibly and finally decided to try the funny looking meat.

-"Couldn't you cook something that actually sounds edible? One of these days I'll make you teach me how to say it", he mumbled, but still took a little experimental bite. At times like this, he felt like he was the foreigner. It was annoying to say the least. Momiji laughed.

-"That's the reason why I never ask. It's been years since I had this." He found himself enjoying the fact that Hiro stayed for dinner every other night. His presence added a fun spice to their meals.

-"It's not that hard to say." Momo countered, and then proceeded to enunciate each syllable. Hiro paid attention to her, but dismissed the invitation to repeat the word with a movement of his head.

-"I'm not giving you the chance to laugh at me. Just forget about it." He found that the gravy was good, the meat well cooked, and all in all, it was delicious. The funny looking meat with the weird name was actually good. He was about to comment on that when Momo said that she was going to the kitchen to get dessert. Momiji called her back and told her to wait a moment.

-"Momo-chan, what's today's date?" There it was again: the impish smile that both teens associated now with an upcoming prank or surprise from Momiji. Hiro knew what he was talking about, and couldn't help but to wonder what it was that Momiji was going to give his sister for White Day.

-"March 14th," she said. Both men could tell by the way her eyes lit up that she also knew what was coming.

Momiji was grinning by now. From one of his pockets he pulled out a white jewelry box and put it in front of the expectant girl. Momo opened it with eager hands and cheered her delight when she saw the gift inside. Hiro's eyes widened in surprise as soon as he saw the gold choker in Momo's hands.

-"That must've been some serious chocolate," said Hiro. He knew that Momiji could easily afford that kind of gift, but still… Momiji called her to him and proceeded to put the jewel around her neck while she held her hair up and out of his way.

Momo was giggling and hugging her brother a moment later. A rain of kisses on both of Momiji's cheeks followed shortly, as well as a flood of strange words in what Hiro could only guess was German. Hiro groaned inwardly. He hated not knowing what was being said in front of him. He decided to overlook that that one time, focusing instead on the bunnies. They were playing like a pair of toddlers now.

'Apparently, the hyperactivity runs in the family.'

-"Momo-chan" he cut in. "You're bouncing." He did try to make it sound like a warning, but the sight of her jumping up and down around her brother was too much. He thought it was funny and had to fight hard against the urge to laugh. She turned to him and said something he didn't understand at all. Hiro's mood shifted in an instant. He was about to snap at her, but Momiji beat him to it with a much milder reprimand.

-"Momo-chan… Hiro-kun can't understand what you're saying." Momo turned back to Hiro, looking utterly embarrassed.

-"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude," she whispered. Hiro sighed audibly, anger gone. He couldn't stay mad at her after such a heartfelt apology. Besides, he didn't want to ruin the moment. He dismissed the episode with a shrug.

-"It's not a problem. Don't worry." She smiled again, happiness returning to her face, along with something else in her eyes that he didn't dare to identify. Hiro felt a pang of nostalgia when he remembered another girl from his past who smiled at him the same way. Back then and even now, that girl had the power to light up his world and turn him into a tamed little lamb with just one look. He could feel his heart aching in his chest, literally.

'Will it ever stop hurting this much?' He wanted to be free from the pain, but at the same time he couldn't muster the courage to let go.

-"Are you okay, Hiro-kun?" Momo was kneeling in front of him as soon as he saw the grimace on his face. Hiro faked a little smile and nodded. "Good! I'm bringing dessert now," and with those words, the girl left the men alone.

-"What is it, Hiro-kun?" Momiji's voice was soothing, caring. Hiro found himself answering to his question before he could evade it with a sarcastic comment.

-"It's nothing… just a memory." Momiji nodded. He knew what his cousin was going through. He sympathized with him, since he knew from personal experience how hard it was to let go and move on when you've loved someone for as long as Hiro-kun loved Kisa-chan.

-"I know…" he replied.

Hiro didn't want to forget Kisa, but he knew that he needed to get over those unrequited feelings someday. He was no fool. He knew that Momiji of all people understood what he was feeling at that moment. He'd noticed the way his cousin looked at Tohru for years. Hiro's voice sounded hesitant when he spoke again. It was killing his pride to ask, but he had to know.

-"Will it get better with time?"

-"I don't know." Momiji's eyes at that moment reflected the sadness Hiro felt. "…but I want to believe that it will."

-"Here's dessert!" Momo walked back in with a tray and three little bowls topped with…

-"Bunny girl, who in her right mind thinks of having ice cream for dessert in the middle of a snow storm? Have you looked out the window?" Hiro was back to normal now. Momiji laughed again. It was definitely worth it having the lamb staying for dinner.


	8. Salad and pizza

-"Your grades keep getting better, Souma-san." Momo stood in front of her teacher a few minutes after her last class of the day ended. "Congratulations!" The woman handed her a graded test from across the desk separating them. It was the one she'd taken the day before. It wasn't perfect, but pretty close to it. Momo scanned her answers, looking for the mistakes. She groaned and covered her face with her free hand when she found the first one.

-"Hiro-kun is going to kill me! We practiced this a thousand times!" She didn't think that she was going to show this to him.

-"You mean your cousin Souma Hiro?" the teacher seemed surprised. Momo nodded, her eyes still glued to the sheet of paper. "No wonder you're doing better. He was an excellent student, top of his class." Her voice carried that hint of admiration that Momo was starting to associate with people talking about her cousin.

-"That's what I heard," Momo agreed. Hiro never told her about it, but she kept hearing the same comments about him from all her teachers. "I heard that he helped here leading a study group too."

-"He didn't lead just one study group, but the whole program. They had a teacher supervising them, but Souma-kun did pretty much most of the work. He is a natural leader and a thorough organizer. He could become an excellent teacher too if he so decided."

-"You think so?" Now that was something she'd never heard before. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. He's really good at tutoring hopeless cases like me." She laughed at herself. It was true, though. Hiro had a gift for explaining things in a way that made it easier for her to understand, which was kind of strange, since he seemed to be so short-tempered. People didn't expect him to be so patient and dedicated. Momo's interest in her cousin grew with each passing day.

-"That he is," the teacher agreed. "He even earned the title of sensei from his classmates and pupils."

-"Really? I didn't know. I call him that too when he's tutoring me, though I don't know whether he likes it or not." It was a joke, really. He never said anything about it to her though, so she just kept on calling him that since he didn't seem to mind.

-"He didn't at first, but I guess he got used to it eventually. Besides, they called him that out of true respect. You know how he is, so serious and distant in his own way." Momo had to agree. She had seen that part of him in the past, but now… She didn't think that way about him anymore. "He is a great boy, though, and very handsome too, in the opinion of the female student population. I even think that he would've had his own fan club if the school hadn't banned those years ago."

-"Fan club?" Was he really that popular with the girls there? She felt a pang of some unidentified though not unfamiliar emotion when she imagined Hiro surrounded by girls.

-"Yes. The last one we had that we know of was your cousin's, Souma Yuki-kun." She was smiling, clearly amused at seeing the shock in her student's face.

-"Yuki-kun had a fan club?" The teacher nodded. "I'm going to ask Momiji all about it when I get home! I bet Hiro-kun doesn't know about it either!" Momo was really excited. She could hardly wait to know.

-"I highly doubt that Souma-kun doesn't know about it, but ask them. I bet your brother can tell you all the best stories about your cousin's fan club." She wasn't working at that time as a teacher yet, but she got to hear all sorts of stories about how devoted that particular fan club used to be. "How are they doing now, your brother and cousin?" her teacher asked. She'd met Souma Momiji as a senior in high school on her first year as a teacher, and she'd taught Souma Hiro all of his three years of high school. She really liked both boys.

-"They are doing great, thank you." Momo really liked this teacher. The fact that she was younger than all of her other teachers also helped to make her feel at ease talking to her.

-"Did Souma Hiro-kun get into that college in America he wanted to go to?" She really wanted to know. The boy was really talented. She knew that he would be successful wherever he went.

-"He wants to go to college in America?" Why didn't Hiro-kun ever tell her that?

-"That's what I heard. Rumor has it that he wanted to go there so he could be with his girlfriend, but you probably know more about it than anyone here. Is it true?"

-"I don't know. We never talk about things like that." Thinking about it made her realize that Hiro had managed to become her friend of sorts, but that he never let her get close to him, not really. 'He has a girlfriend?' It made her feel pretty stupid learning about it from one of her teachers instead of straight from her own cousin. 'Doesn't he trust me enough?' Again that nagging feeling she had yet to identify.

-"You don't?" Momo could hear the disappointment in her voice, but she quickly changed the topic seeing that the young girl hadn't taken the news well. "I bet your classmates are jealous. Don't they ask you to introduce them to Souma-kun? He was really popular when he was here."

-"A couple of senior girls approached me the other day asking about him, but I had to tell them that it is highly unlikely that he'll ever come to pick me up after school." Yes, that day was the first time she felt that way, now that she thought about it. She wondered why that emotion kept coming back more often lately, and only when it was somehow related to Hiro. "He's busy working these days, you know?" Now that was something that she could tell her teacher didn't know, if the look of surprise in her eyes was any indication. It made her feel a little vindicated.

-"Is he? That's great! Is he working at one of your family businesses? I heard that your family owns several companies." The woman seemed to be genuinely interested. Momo started to feel like this conversation had turned into an interrogation for the sake of gossip.

-"Yes, he is. He started working at the law firm some weeks ago." She decided not to elaborate on that, though she knew about Hiro's work fairly well. 'Do we ever talk about anything else besides my school and his job?' Momo checked her watch. Tohru should be waiting for her outside the school for their shopping trip. "I have to go now. See you on Monday!" The teacher nodded and waved goodbye before Momo turned around and started for the door. The teacher's voice stopped her as her hand reached the door knob.

-"Souma-san. I have one last thing to tell you before you leave." Momo turned her face to her. "You're not a hopeless case. Have a little more faith in yourself." Momo felt somehow relieved. At least one of her teachers believed in her abilities. She smiled. "See you on Monday." Momo nodded and waved back before closing the door behind her.

-----

-"Ok, then. Remind me of how we ended up eating pizza and watching TV in your living room on a Friday night?" Hiro used his trademark sarcastic voice, though it was much deeper now than years ago. Even as he was complaining about the situation, he reached out and snatched another slice of 'double-cheese-all-the-toppings-in-the-menu' pizza from the box right under Momiji's nose. The questioned man shrugged and answered in between bites.

-"Momo-chan needed to go shopping today, so Tohru-chan picked her up from school and they went together to the mall. Momo-chan not being here means nobody cooking dinner, hence the need for pizza." Hiro assumed that Momo's absence also meant no table manners either. Momiji was at the moment trying not to choke to death with a rather large slice. Hiro resumed flipping through the channels with the remote, looking for something interesting to watch. Momiji continued. "I live here, which explains my presence. As for you, you just forgot about it and came here today as usual." Hiro ignored Momiji's comment. It was true, but he wasn't about to admit it.

-"This is pathetic: You and I sitting here like a pair of old housewives while we could go out and have fun instead." Momiji knew Hiro too well to sense that his comment lacked the bite his choice of words tried to convey.

-"Define fun." Momiji opened another beer. He didn't know about his cousin, but he was having fun.

-"I don't know, maybe intoxicating ourselves with overly priced alcohol in an ill-reputed bar full of scantily dressed women?" Momiji snickered and rolled his eyes in a gesture that could only mean 'yeah, right!' It never ceased to amaze him that his cousin could make that sort of statement with a straight face. Hiro kept on: "I mean, we're stuck here while your women are out gossiping, spending your money and enjoying every minute of it." Momiji refused to take the bait from the comment about _his women. _Hiro kept on, apparently oblivious to his own words. "Somehow I feel like there's something going on the other way around here." Truth be told, he wasn't the kind of man who thought that women belonged at home at all times, it was just… he felt like something was missing here, or rather someone. He'd much rather have another funny looking meal with a foreign name instead of the all too familiar pizza.

-"This shopping outing had been postponed many times already. Momo-chan really wanted to spend some time with someone else besides you and me. You know, another girl?" Hiro knew what Momiji was talking about. His experience told him that women need constant interaction with their own species, and he also knew that Momo didn't have any friends at school. She must've been needing this for some time. He nodded in acknowledgement. Momiji kept on explaining. "I'm not really worried about them gossiping, as you said. You know _my women_."Hiro smirked at that. "Whatever they happen to talk about can't be that harmful. As for money, I'm not going to be broke just because she needed to buy 'girl stuff' with Tohru-chan." The way Momiji talked about money always made Hiro feel slightly uncomfortable. He wasn't rich, and his cousins were used to spending more in a day than whatever he could earn in a month. How was he supposed to compete against that? This time, however…

-"Girl stuff?" Now that spiked his interest, particularly because of the way Momiji said the words, as if trying to avoid the plague.

-"Don't ask…" Momiji pretended to be looking for something instead of facing his cousin.

-"Ohhhh, you mean GIRL STUFF. You didn't ask her to clarify that for you, did you?" Momiji hung his head in an overly dramatic gesture. Hiro laughed wholeheartedly. He always enjoyed talking with Momiji. The guy could be so naïve sometimes! "Serves you right. That's what you get for prying into girl matters. Anyway, did she tell you what she was going to buy?"

-"You don't want to know…" Momiji felt uncomfortable just remembering his conversation with Momo a few days ago.

'_Unless you want to help me picking them up or even trying them on, I don't see the need for you to be there!'_

-"That bad, huh?" Momiji kept averting his eyes, so he didn't see the sympathetic smile on Hiro's face. "I was just curious! I wanted to know why I couldn't go with them", Momiji said in his defense. "Besides, how was I supposed to guess that she wanted to buy that… _that _kind of 'stuff'?" Momiji looked very much like a tomato at that moment. Hiro decided that he was having fun after all, but he decided to stop teasing his cousin, if only for tonight.

-"Hmmm… I guess you're safe. After all, the one who shouldn't be curious would be Kyou, not you." Hiro was looking at the TV while he said the words. He kind of had an idea of what Momo was shopping for. Unlike her brother, he noticed certain things. She was a growing girl after all. In addition, she'd made a couple of comments just the other night about the way her blouses didn't fit anymore. He settled finally for a movie to watch.

-"I guess you're right. It's funny, though." Momiji laughed. Hiro looked at him, a question in his eyes. "It's nothing, really." He dismissed the topic with a hand, but Hiro kept the inquiring look on. "Well, you see…" Momiji started. "I think it funny that we are able to joke about it so easily now." Hiro didn't know an explanation to know what _it_ meant: the curse.

-"We've always done that…" Hiro shrugged. "But I know what you mean. It is easier now. I'm not bothered anymore whenever they make those sheep jokes about me." It was true, and he wondered when it was that he stopped minding them. He guessed that he had partly outgrown the childish reaction and partly that his soul had healed during the past years.

-"I kind of like those bunny jokes about me and Momo," Momiji admitted. "She seems to like them as well." Momiji glanced at the box of pizza that had mysteriously repositioned itself to the middle of the table and slowly getting closer to Hiro. He saw that there was only one slice left inside the box and reached out to grab it before Hiro did. His cousin gave him the 'evil eye', but said nothing about it. Momiji smiled sheepishly. Hiro sighed loudly, as if tired of dealing with such an obnoxious brat. He decided to ask his cousin something that had been worrying him for some time now.

-"Does Momo really know about the curse?," he said in a conversational voice as he turned the can of beer upside down in a futile attempt to get any liquid out. Momiji wished he had a camera right then.

-"Yes, we talked about it the day she came back." He refocused his eyes on what was left of the slice of pizza and then decided to shove it into his mouth. That conversation with Momo was old history for Momiji now. It seemed to him like it had happened years ago.

-"How… what did she say? Does she believe that?" Momiji snapped to attention at his words, or rather at how hesitant the usually confident young man sounded at that moment. "I can't think of a way to explain it to Hinata-chan if I had to. Nobody has told her yet, and anyway, it's not like we can prove it now..." Momiji was surprised at his cousin's admission. Hiro was scared! Any other person wouldn't be able to tell, but he knew Hiro better than most, and furthermore, he knew from first-hand experience what his cousin was going through. He decided not to say anything yet. He could tell that Hiro was not done yet. "Do you think that I should tell Hinata-chan about it? How did you do it?"

-"Momo figured it out by herself. Our father told her about the curse, and she just connected the dots, I guess." He didn't really have to tell her. She had solved the riddle on her own that day. Hiro sighed in defeat across the table. Guess his cousin wasn't that much of a help after all.

-"I guess I'll have to find my own way then. About Momo… how did she take it? Did it scare her?" He really wanted to know. He knew that someday he'd have to tell Momo about him being cursed too, so he wanted to have a hint as to what her reaction would be.

-"She said that it was a pity that she didn't get to meet my rabbit form." Momiji grinned, and he could see his cousin letting out a long breath before he looked up, calm once again. "You know how much she loves rabbits." Hiro agreed with a chuckle.

-"You said that she doesn't know about me…." He just wanted to confirm the information he had, so that he knew where he stood.

-"Not as far as I know. It's hard to tell, really. Any of the others could've told her already, though I doubt it." It had finally happened. The last drop of Momiji's beer fell at an agonizingly slow pace from the can to his tongue. They had officially run out of it. Hiro was too preoccupied with his thoughts to notice the funny picture that his cousin was making.

-"I know." It was an unspoken agreement between the former zodiac members. Their secret was for each of them to tell, and in their own terms. It was still a sensitive topic for them, and only a select few knew about it outside their circle. Hiro raised his eyes to his cousin and laughed at his desperate attempts from getting something out of the empty can of beer.

-"Give it up. You're making a fool of yourself." Momiji had the grace to look embarrassed. Hiro stood up. "I'll go get more." He noticed his cousin reaching out for something on Hiro's side of the table. "Don't." He warned. Momiji stopped with his hand above the remote. "I'm watching that." Only he was able to say something as irrelevant as that with so much authority. Hiro walked to the fridge, and as he was taking out another pack of cans he heard Momiji yelling at him from the living room.

-"This movie is so boooooring! You sure you don't want to go to that ill-reputed bar you were telling me about earlier?"

-----

-"I always knew that Momiji was rich, but I didn't know that he could be so generous…" Tohru was still amazed at the amount spent by Momo that afternoon, and she couldn't help it but to stare at the still growing stack of bags and boxes next to the girl across the table. She guessed that it must've been nothing out of the ordinary for her to buy whatever she wanted regardless of the price, but it still surprised her. She found herself wishing that someday she could afford to do the same.

The girls were having dinner at a restaurant in the mall. They'd visited about half of the stores there, and still the younger girl looked neither tired nor bored. Tohru, on the other hand, was already regretting wearing heels that day. The waitress arrived at that moment with a pair of salads they'd ordered previously, making them pause the conversation for a moment. Momo answered as soon as she left.

-"He is. He's always bringing me presents for no reason at all, and it's like I only need to mention something I've seen and the next thing I know, he's already bought it for me." She chose a dressing and was already pouring a generous amount of it onto her lettuce. "Did you know that he gave me a gold choker for White Day?" Momo took a bite of the salad. She wondered what Momiji could be having for dinner all by himself at home.

-"You know that that's not a problem for him. He can afford it." Tohru answered in a conversational tone, though it saddened her to think that Momiji hadn't gone to her for advice in buying the jewel as he would've done in the past. They'd begun to drift apart ever since their trip to Germany. She wondered if maybe their friendship was already damaged beyond repair.

-"I know, but it's not just that." Momo sounded frustrated. Tohru looked up from her own salad to look her friend in the eye.

-"It isn't?" She knew that Momiji was trying hard to be the best brother he could be. What could he possibly be doing wrong?

-"He won't let me do any chores besides cooking, and he only agreed to it because we set that as part of the 'peace treaty'"; she drew the quotation marks in the air with her fingers, "when I first moved in. But that's about all I can do. He won't let me help with anything else. He says that the maids can keep on taking care of the housekeeping for us. He must think that dusting is a life threatening activity or something like that. Does he expect me to just stay at home looking pretty and doing my nails?" Tohru giggled. That was it? Momo kept on with her complains. "This morning when he gave me the credit card, you know what he told me?" Tohru said no with her head. She didn't trust herself to not to laugh aloud at her friend's 'predicament'. "He said that I can buy whatever I want with it. Can you believe that?" Tohru giggled again. Momo was serious about this, and that was so cute! "Honestly! Who gives a teenager a credit card to do with it as she pleases? Not even Papa did that!" She emphasized her words with her fork. "One of these days he's going to show up at home with a pony or something like that for me." This time Tohru just had to laugh. It was too much. Momo waited patiently for Tohru to stop, all the while questioning her friend's sanity.

-"I'm sorry. It's just…" She was still trying to regain her breath. "It's so funny to hear you complain about it. Do you realize how lucky you are? Any other girl would be ecstatic!" Momo smiled. She finally realized what Tohru found so amusing.

-"But why is he doing all this?" Now it was Tohru's turn to question her friend's sanity. 'Is she serious?' Momo held up her hands in a defensive gesture. "Don't get me wrong. It's not that I don't like the gifts and all the attention, but sometimes I think that he's trying too hard to make me happy," she explained. Tohru shook her head. Those two kept on complicating their lives for the most trivial things.

-"There's no denying it. You truly are Momiji's sister." Momo looked at her with a puzzled expression. Tohru decided to elaborate. "My guess?" Momo nodded. "He doesn't really know how to be a big brother, and on top of that, he's trying to make it up to the both of you for all the time missed."

-"He doesn't need to do much. I'm happy just being here with him. Even my parents didn't give me so much of… everything." She looked lost, like she didn't know what to do.

-"Then I have a piece of advice for you." Momo looked at her, eager to learn from Tohru. "Tell him what you think. Momiji is a great person, but it wouldn't be the first time that he's wrong about how to love someone. His life has changed too fast in too short a time. Back in December he lived all alone, and then he became an older brother and sort of a parent for you overnight. The truth is that he doesn't know how to be either of those things, least of all both at the same time. He's still learning, and it all points out to the fact that it's up to you to teach him." Tohru went back to her salad. It was easy for her to see what was happening. After all, she knew Momiji better than anyone.

-"Then I guess that this is going to be his first lesson: Never leave a credit card unattended in the hands of a teenage girl." The mischievous spark in her eyes her defeated the seriousness of her voice. Tohru wondered if Momo really did this with the intention of punishing her brother by buying herself a little… she glanced again at the towering stack, ok, a lot of happiness. One thing was for sure, Momiji was up for a great surprise when he received his credit card balance.

-"Tell me something," Momo asked out of the blue. "I've been thinking about it for some time and I still don't get it."

-"What is it?" The salad was really good. Tohru decided to come back later with Kyou.

-"How come you don't love my brother? I mean, you've been friends, even best friends for years, but we know that you mean much more to him than that. Then… why?" Momo just didn't understand. In her eyes, her brother was the best man in the world, and it was impossible for any girl not to fall in love with him.

-"I don't know." Tohru's reply was honest, but it didn't satisfy Momo. "I always saw Momiji as a younger brother rather than a boy, and I love him as such."

-"Momiji is not a boy anymore, and we both know it," Momo clarified. A boy would never be able to do all the things her brother did.

-"I know… I guess… I mean, it's like…" Tohru was at a loss for words. How do you explain your feelings for a man to his sister? "I didn't want to hurt him, really. I didn't know. He grew up in front of my eyes without me noticing the changes."

-"Maybe you didn't want to see." Tohru looked lost. Momo felt bad for her, but she wanted her to know what she thought. "It's like what happened to me. Deep down, I always knew that Momiji and I had a stronger connection than just being cousins. I didn't think too much about it because it scared me to figure out what that bond really was." Now that she said the words aloud she realized how silly that was. She could've saved them both a lot of heartache…

-"Maybe…" she said. Inside, she knew that Momo was right. She'd felt that way that day in the airport back in Germany.

-"Are you happy with Kyou-kun?" As much as it hurt to know that Tohru would never love Momiji the way he did, she really wanted her to be happy. Tohru blushed and smiled shyly before she nodded. That was all the answer Momo needed. She sighed and went back to her salad.

-"I just wish that someday I can find a man who looks at me the way Momiji looks at you." It was meant to be more of an afterthought, but Tohru sensed the deep wish that those words enclosed. An idea occurred to Tohru. Maybe she could help.

-"Speaking of that… Have you noticed that Hiro-kun has the most beautiful eyes? And those eyelashes… they keep going on forever!" It was a fact acknowledged by the whole family: the little boy she'd met years ago had become a handsome young man. Knowing Momo, she wouldn't be surprised to know that she didn't notice that yet.

-"What?" Yup, just the reaction Tohru was expecting. Momo was utterly shocked.

-"Don't tell me you haven't noticed," she teased. "You see him every day!" It didn't matter that she barely spoke to Momiji lately. That kind of information always managed to circulate within a family like the Soumas.

-"Yes, I do, but what does that have to do with anything? I'm not about to check out my own cousin!" The blush on her face told Tohru a different story. 'So, she has noticed after all.' She liked Kisa-chan and loved her like a sister, but she knew better than to expect Hiro to wait for her. It would be unfair. That story had reached its end almost two years ago. Hiro needed to move on, so, why not nudging Momo in his general direction?

-"Why not?," asked Tohru. Momo looked scandalized, and Tohru was enjoying the situation a little too much. "What is he exactly, Momo?"

-"Huh?" The poor girl was confused and completely at a loss for words. She never expected to have Tohru turning the tables against her.

-"I mean, what is he, your second, third cousin? You do know that the Soumas often intermarry, don't you? It wouldn't be that crazy for you to find him attractive, especially because he is." She knew that maybe she was pushing a little, even hinting the possibility of marriage, but it wouldn't harm anyone to talk about it, would it?

-"They do?" Momo asked shyly. She felt a sudden rush of giddiness as she considered Tohru's words, but she didn't understand why.

-"_You_ do. Remember? You're a Souma too." Momo giggled. She kept forgetting that sometimes. "And as I said, it happens, especially within the inner circle of the family." Momo felt stupid for the second time that day. It couldn't be right that Tohru-chan knew more about her family than her. She needed to have a serious talk with her brother to learn more about the Soumas. She knew about the so-called inner circle, though. Her father told her about it when she was a child.

-"You mean the heads of the family?" Tohru nodded. "But… what does that have to do with me or Hiro-kun?" Tohru started the topic, so Momo decided that now she had to explain it to her. Her friend seemed eager to comply.

-"Hiro-kun belongs to that group, and so do you because of your brother." Tohru started to look around for their waitress.

-"You mean… are the inner circle and the curse related?" It occurred to her at that moment that she never asked anyone for the rest of the zodiac. Could it be?

-"That is something that you'll have to ask your brother. I can't tell you." Momo pouted, but didn't pursue the topic. She recalled then something her teacher said earlier that day.

-"Hiro-kun has a girlfriend and he's going to meet her soon in America." The way she said the words, it was more of a question rather than a statement. Tohru was surprised to hear that.

-"Who told you that?" Honestly, who kept spreading those rumors? Didn't they know that Kisa-chan and Hiro-kun had lost all contact two years ago?

-"A teacher at school," Momo replied. Tohru wondered how that kind of information could've leaked to the teachers at Hiro's old school. "She said that he was going to college in America to be with her." The girl felt a flicker of hope grow inside her. Tohru looked crossed, so maybe it wasn't true, and that filled Momo with that fuzzy giddy feeling again. She didn't consider analyzing it yet, and yet she wanted to believe…

-"I can only tell you that it is over. There's no girlfriend, and he's not going there anymore, at least not that I know of." Tohru smiled once again for the sake of her friend. She rarely lost her temper, but just a minute ago she'd come really close to doing just that. Momo smiled. She felt… relieved. For a moment there she felt vey scared about the prospect of Hiro-kun leaving. Knowing that he wasn't going away made her so happy! "So, you see? Maybe you can check out your cousin after all…" and then she winked at the younger girl. Momo blushed again, but Tohru noticed that she didn't reject the idea. The waitress finally approached their table. Tohru decided to speak, since her friend was still too stunned to do so.

-"We're ready for the pizza. Could you bring it over?"


	9. Lacy little red 'thing'

Momo finally got home around 10 pm. To her surprise, Hiro and Momiji were sitting in front of the TV surrounded by boxes of pizza and empty cans of beer. They were watching an action movie, and she just happened to walk in at the exact moment when somebody's guts were blown away. She guessed that they were those of the villain, or at least that's what she wanted to believe. If the cheers of the two men sitting on the carpet were any indication, she'd guessed right.

-"That's gross!" she breathed out. Both men turned back to see her standing there trying not to drop the high stack of packages she carried while precariously balancing the bags hanging from her arms. Hiro sprang to his feet in a second and lifted the heavy stack from her like it weighed nothing. Momiji started to get up too, but sat back down when he saw that his cousin beat him to it and was helping Momo already. He only said a slurred '_okaeri'_ and turned back to his movie, waiting for them to get back to the living room when they were done.

-"Let me get this" Hiro said, and then he started walking to her room. She sighed a relieved 'thanks' and followed him. Hiro started talking again. "How was your trip? I can tell that you just depleted Momiji's savings account in one afternoon." He couldn't see what was in the boxes and bags, but just their sizes and weight hinted at them costing a small fortune. Momo giggled quietly. She could tell by his voice that her cousin had one too many beers that night. Now that was a first. He looked… well, he didn't look so unapproachable and distant at that moment. He seemed relaxed and even a little sleepy. She thought that was cute, though she had no intention at all of pointing that out to him anytime soon, or more likely, ever.

Hiro stopped at her bedroom door as she opened it and walked in without turning back in an obvious invitation for him to follow. He hesitated a moment and then stepped in. He'd never been there before. Momo saw the question in his eyes and pointed to the bed where he then dropped the bags and boxes a little less carefully than she expected.

-"I leave you both on your own for one night and look at what happens," she said, putting away a couple of boxes while Hiro just stood there studying her room. She guessed that the cousins had been 'male bonding' and she thought it was funny. "Honestly! Do I need to be babysitting you boys for you to behave?" she was joking, but Hiro's foggy brain interpreted her words like she was scolding him.

-"No, _mother,_ we can behave ourselves just fine," he replied sarcastically while he looked inside the bags trying to find the rocks she'd bought and that he'd carried all the way there. "We just decided to have a little fun here while you were out spending away your inheritance…"

-"Yeah, right!" she rolled her eyes. "You both are cleaning up your mess, you know. I'm not picking up anything…"

-"What the… what is all this?" Hiro paid no attention to Momo and was thinking aloud at that moment. He took something out of the nearest bag only to find himself staring at something lacy and… red. It was so small that he could close his fist easily around it. He blinked a couple of times, trying to determine if this was real or just the result of that last one beer he'd drunk that night. Nope, he decided. The _'thing'_ was real. "Momo… aren't you a little too young for something like this?" he said, holding out the item for her to see. She gasped and made to take it from his hand, but he moved it out of her reach, laughing like a child pulling a prank.

-"Give it back, Hiro!" He kept playing with her, laughing all the while. Momo would've found the situation funny if she wasn't so utterly embarrassed. She bought the matching set on a whim, with no real intention of wearing it, and now he'd seen it. Talk about rotten luck.

-"I seriously hope that you have no intention of modeling this for anyone." There was a hint of a warning in his voice that she didn't like one bit. Now Momo was getting angry. How dared he!

-"What do you care?! It's none of your business!" He narrowed his eyes and moved closer to her until they were only inches apart.

-"Oh, but I do care…" They were so close now that their noses were almost touching, but he didn't back away from her glare. The strong smell of beer in his breath reached her nose, reminding her that this wasn't the normal Hiro, while the faint scent of her perfume kept his mind focused on who she was and what that meant... "…and actually, it is my business." He allowed her to take the cloth from his hand with a smirk. "Just so you know…" he finished. Momo pulled apart and turned away from him. What he said made no sense at all, but she supposed that it was due to his current state. She was blushing, though she wasn't sure if it was from embarrassment or because of how close he'd been just a second ago. She remembered Tohru's words from that afternoon and dared to steal a quick glance at him. He was staring at her with a curious look, expecting her to say something. She didn't, so he left the room.

By the time she got to the living room Hiro had already his jacket on and was saying goodbye to Momiji, who was still watching the movie. He didn't bother to stand up and instead dismissed his cousin with a wave and a distracted goodbye.

Hiro turned around and came face to face with Momo again. "I'm leaving, but I promise to come back tomorrow to make sure that that rabbit of your brother cleans up the mess, hangover and all. Okay?" His voice was gentle and caring in a way that she'd never heard before. Momo nodded, not daring to look up at him. "See you tomorrow then, Bunny Girl." He stopped at the door to find Momo looking at him again, concern all over her face at seeing him leave that late at night. "Don't worry, Momo. A pair of beers never made anyone so drunk as to become unable to walk home on his own or not knowing what he says…" and with that, he walked out the door and left.


	10. A thousand ways to wring a rabbit's neck

-"Forget it. For the thousandth time, you hare, absolutely not." Ah, the infamous Souma temper striking back! He should've known that this was not going to be easy… or pretty. He should've called someone else… It was only that Hiro's was the first name that popped to his mind when he decided to ask for help. Now it was too late to back down.

-"Please, Hiro-kun? I really need this favor from you." He could sense that his cousin was seconds away from giving in to his request. All he needed was an extra little push.

-"She can go by herself. She still remembers where the academy's at, or she forgot that too? If I remember correctly, it is within walking distance from home."

-"They moved," Momiji whined. "I could give her the new address, but I'm afraid she'll get lost, and I don't want her to take a cab." It was a cheap trick and he knew it, but the guilt trip was sure to work. Not even Hiro could resist an appeal to his conscience.

-"You take her then, if you're so worried" Hiro retaliated. "You're not the only one who has a job, you know?" Despite the harshness of his words, Momiji detected the initial signs of surrender in his cousin's voice.

-"I can't get out of the office until after the appointment. I really don't want her to re-schedule the placement examination. It is very important for her. She really wants to start the lessons as soon as possible." And then, the final touch. "She'll be so disappointed if she has to wait longer." That last comment was just the kiss of death for his cousin's reluctance.

-"Why did you get yourself busy then if you knew that you have this appointment today?" Hiro knew that he'd lost already. He just wanted to know why he'd been tricked into this.

-"Something came up this morning…" A knock on the door interrupted Momiji. Standing there, pointing to his watch, stood Ritsu. He was a minute away from being late for an emergency meeting. He made a quick excuse and promised to be there 'in a moment.' "Look, I'll tell you all about it tonight during dinner, and then you can tell me how the audition went. I really have to go now."

-"You're not giving up on this, no matter how many times I refuse, are you?" They had been arguing about it for fifteen whole minutes, neither of them willing to give in to the other. "You just decided that I'm doing it regardless of my schedule. I'm getting tired of this. I've been getting that a lot lately, you know? ...people deciding my life for me." He really hated feeling manipulated, even if it was something as small as driving his cousin to the music academy. Momiji was so busy weakening his defenses that he didn't really pay attention to his cousin's complains.

-"Hiro-kun… You are the only one I can trust with my precious little sister," Momiji pleaded. It wasn't entirely true, but of all their relatives, Hiro was the one Momo was most familiar with.

Hiro could picture his cousin pouting and making puppy eyes at the phone. His resigned sigh reached the other man across the phone line. Momiji grinned in triumph. 'Works every time.'

-"Ok, I'll do it" he finally agreed. "Let me ask my boss if I can leave early today. It shouldn't be a problem." It wasn't that Momiji was skillfully persuasive (which he was), but rather that it worried him too to have Momo take a cab, even if she got one of the maids to go with her. "Just for the record, I hate you. I think I'll have bunny stew for dinner tonight." He was smiling at his own frustrated joke. There was no point on brooding. He decided to evaluate all the possible ways to wring a rabbit's neck instead.

-"Thank you so much! You saved my life!" Momiji felt truly relieved. If it wasn't so important for Momo to go to the examination, he would've called to re-schedule it… again.

-"Yeah, I know. I'm your hero and all that." He saved Momiji the trouble of stating how great of a cousin Hiro was. He already knew that. "Don't thank me, though. I'll be sure to send you the bill one of these days." Now that he'd finally relaxed, Momiji started to pay attention to the younger man's comments… sort of. He was more focused on gathering his things for the meeting. Momiji could tell by his voice that Hiro was busy as well, looking for a pen and a piece of paper on his desk. Though he guessed that it was supposed to be a casual comment, he sensed a double meaning to his words, as he did from time to time.

-"Should I worry?" It was an idea that had been nagging him since the day Hiro offered to help Momo. He still believed that he had no reason to second guess his cousin's intentions, but sometimes, when he heard that kind of comments, he wondered what was on the younger man's mind.

-"You know me. Of course you have to worry." No point in telling a lie, Hiro reasoned with a smirk. "Now, give me the address."

Hiro did not want to be there at all. It was… awkward. He felt like an outsider as he stood at the gates of the school that had been his second home for three years. To think that just a year ago he was like those boys leaving the school building wearing a uniform. It felt to him like that part of his life happened ages ago. Hiro felt so much older than them now as he saw their carefree faces and playful behavior. He was struggling inside, trying to decide whether he pitied or envied them: they had to live by the rules and had limited freedom, but on the other hand, nobody expected them to be responsible adults yet. He realized the irony of the situation as he wished for a split second that he could go back in time and be a child again. A conversation with Tohru years before came to mind. She would surely give him a sympathetic smile now if she knew what he just thought.

So far, none of the students recognized him, so he assumed by that and their young faces that they were first years.

'How long can it take for that girl to come out?"

And then it happened.

An inhuman sound that could only be a girl squeal pierced his ears. 'Just my luck.' Three years in high school and he never got used to them. Mindless giggling he could handle. This… He groaned and decided to pretend that he didn't hear them, though the visible flinch of just a moment ago belied that. 'Hopefully they'll decide to just walk by or wave goodbye' he wished. A moment later he had to raise his eyes to look at the group of people whose shadows covered his shoes now.

-"Souma-sensei?" chorused a group of five second year girls. 'No. They are third years now', Hiro corrected himself. He remembered tutoring all of them last year. 'Hopeless bunch of mathematically challenged girls', he recalled somewhat fondly. To their credit, he had to admit that even though they were not intellectually gifted, they had the will and determination that many others lacked. Their grades never became the highest, but they managed to raise them considerably.

-"Good afternoon," he said with distant politeness, as he always did with his classmates and pupils. Being already used to his formality, they didn't take offense on the shortness of the greeting.

-"Are you visiting your old friends?" one of the girls asked. She was hoping to hear that he came to see her, but she knew better. 'It doesn't hurt to dream', she thought. It made Hiro feel uncomfortable the way she… they stared at him. You'd think that he'd be used to it after years of being looked at like that, but he wasn't. It was more than mere friendship that he saw in their eyes: it was pure and simple infatuation.

-"I came to pick someone up," he clarified. The girls looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to elaborate on that. He didn't feel like it, so he raised his gaze behind and above their heads, looking for Momo again. However, one of the girls decided that if he wasn't offering the information of his own will, they'd have to get it from him somehow.

-"Are you picking up your girlfriend, by chance?" she asked, her 'innocent' look not fooling him at all.

-"Wait! That can't be! His girlfriend is in America" another interrupted. Hiro narrowed his eyes and directed a glare at them so quick that they almost didn't notice. Who told them that? He wondered if that was today's gossip among the students of his old school. Well, if they were fishing for a good story or even juicy details about his love life, he could humor them and give them that and more. After all, he wouldn't be really lying, just altering the truth a little.

-"You got that wrong, actually." He smiled at them and he could see that they were swooning with joy at the sight. It wasn't unusual for him to smile, but most of the times he did it out of courtesy. Few people outside his family ever saw him smiling this way, as a boy his age having fun should.

This time, Hiro decided to explain his previous statement. "She lived in Europe for some years, but not anymore." The identical look on their faces after they heard his words was just priceless. "You probably know her."

That did it. They all came to the same conclusion. 'But how..?' The girls were speechless. This was certainly unexpected. He looked around once more for his cousin, and before they could ask any more questions, Momo turned a corner and started to walk in his direction.

-"If you'll excuse me, I have to go now." The girls could only stare as he walked to meet Momo. Oblivious to the whole scene, she kissed Hiro on the cheek, as was her customary greeting, before he took the backpack from her and flung it easily over his shoulder. The 'couple' started to walk, talking along the way. Momo waved goodbye at them as they passed by. Those girls were the ones who'd asked her about Hiro before. Who would have thought that he would be coming to pick her up after all just a few days later? Hiro acknowledged them with a brief inclination of his head before focusing his whole attention again on the conversation with his 'girlfriend.'

The girls watched them go, rooted to the spot where he'd left them. Momo-chan looked happy around him. It was to be expected, really. After all, the girl was only human and it was natural for her to fall for such a handsome boy. As for Souma-kun, he looked comfortable around her, holding her gaze and smiling at her in a way he'd never done for them. Some girls just had all the luck. With a collective sigh, they acknowledged the fact that they'd lost Souma-kun.

Had they been closer to them, they would've noticed the beginning of a feeling much deeper than pure and simple infatuation in Momo's eyes. She was so happy to be walking home with Hiro! Now, if only he held her hand it would be the perfect moment for her. She blushed at her thoughts and dropped her eyes to her shoes.

Had she been looking at him, she would've noticed the pain suddenly filling his eyes as a ghost from his past started to walk between them.


	11. The lamb and the bunny

-"Tell me the truth, did you like it? How did I do?" They were walking to the car after the exam. Hiro had been there with her while she played, at Momo's insistence. She said that she needed the moral support. He wasn't so sure about him being the supportive kind, but he agreed anyway.

-"I don't know much about music, but I liked it. I think that you're good." He enjoyed listening to her playing the violin. She was really talented. The music reminded him of the times when Momiji still practiced in his home. Just another thing he had in common with his sister.

-"Thanks! I love music. It's so…" and then she ran out of words. It was frustrating not knowing how to explain her emotions, feelings and desires. It was as if she was mute. Hiro noticed her predicament and came to her rescue.

-"I know", he said. Looking at him she knew that he really understood. "I guess it runs in your family, the love for music. It's a pity that Momiji quit playing years ago. He was good too. I don't think that he even knows where his old violin is stored now." He wondered where it was, too. Hiro liked to hear the music in the air around Momiji's house when he was a child. Momo's music lacked her brother's sadness and nostalgia, and he missed that. Momiji's music enveloped him and somehow gave him peace in the reassurance that they shared something greater than just a last name. Their link gave him an understanding of his cousin that could've never been achieved through words. He knew how Momo felt. Sometimes words were not enough.

-"I told him that he should take lessons again, but he said that it's pointless. He thinks that he's too old for that." Hiro had heard that too. Momiji quitting his beloved music had just been a part of a long and painful process that he now dubbed as 'growing up'. Of course, Hiro didn't buy it. He knew that his cousin had resigned himself to a life that had been imposed upon him. He knew that feeling first-hand now.

-"He gave it up already. As I said, it's a pity. You two could've played a duet." It could've been interesting, he thought. "Now, that's something I'd pay to see: a pair of bunnies playing the violin." The smirk didn't go unnoticed by Momo.

-"You keep calling us bunnies" she pointed out. They were standing in front of the car that Hiro drove to the music school that afternoon.

-"That's because you are," he stated. Hiro handed her the violin case he had been carrying. "Remember? Big Brother Bunny and Bunny Girl" he said the nicknames in English, as usual. Each of them walked to their respective sides. He was looking for the key when her voice stopped him.

-"What are you then?" It was as good as any other time to ask, and he kind of brought up the topic.

-"What do you mean?" He rested his arm on the car's roof. She could see the keys sticking out from between his long fingers. His face told her that she needed to formulate her question better.

-"I know about the curse, and I'm pretty sure that you are just like my brother. So, which one of them are you?" Understanding filled his eyes and he shook his head with a little laugh as he unlocked the door of the car. He didn't get inside right away, though, but instead looked back up at her intently before he calmly replied.

-"I see. You want to know about that." Hiro looked around to see if anybody had heard Momo talking about the curse. The subject was, after all, a family secret, even now that it was gone for good. He realized that although he'd known that this moment would come, he wasn't any better prepared for it than he would've been years ago. "What about we go and buy something for dinner?" he offered. "I don't think that you want to cook anything tonight, and even if you do, I'm starving right now. I can't wait until you fix one of those funny looking meals whose names I can't say." She narrowed her eyes in a way that he'd come to associate with impending doom. "Don't look at me like that! I'm not complaining, but I've eaten more foreign food in the past two months than ever before in my whole life!" Hiro said it in his defense placing his hands in front of him, his palms facing her.

-"I know, but it's not that. I want an answer. That trick of yours doesn't even work for Momiji anymore." She did want answers, and she wanted them right then. She knew that unlike Momiji, Hiro didn't talk in riddles, and she was counting on that.

-"I wasn't trying to change the subject," he explained while he opened the door of the car and unlocked it for her to get in. "I have every intention of answering your questions, but this is hardly the place for that." Unlike most of the people she met and dealt with every day, Hiro used to hold her gaze while he talked. Some people would consider that rude, but not her. She liked to see into his eyes too. Momo looked around after she heard him comment about the place. They were still standing next to their respective car doors. He was right. "I'll tell you everything you want to know while we eat, ok?" he offered. She accepted the deal and so they finally got in the car and headed back.

-"Momiji will be late tonight," she said as soon as they left the parking lot. "He had to go with Ritsu-kun to have dinner with a client. So, it's just the two of us." He only said a quiet 'ok'. "We can go wherever you want, then, since you hate my cooking so much." He glared sideways at her, and she saw him on the rearview mirror.

-"Once again, I did not complain. You should have noticed by now that I really like everything you cook, but you have to admit that the names…!" he trailed off, clearly annoyed. She laughed. He was obviously joking, but now that she thought about it, they were all German. He was probably right. They must've sound strange to him. They were quiet for a few minutes before he broke the silence.

-"So… how did you know?" he asked, looking at the road ahead of them. "About me, I mean. For all of his many attributes, your brother doesn't strike me as the talkative type when it comes to this particular topic." The traffic was at its worst, so he estimated that they had plenty of time before they could get out of it. He decided that there was no point in delaying the conversation, and besides, the car was a more private place than any restaurant.

-"It took me some time to figure it out, as usual, but I thought that all those comments about rabbits mean that you know about Momiji. I do know that the truth about the curse was only known by those affected and their families, so it made sense that you are one of them, since you know. Besides, _'that big bunny of my brother'_ doesn't seem to mind you calling him that." Momo stated all the reasoning behind her assumptions and felt very proud about it. Once she'd said the words, however, she was afraid that he'd close up and refuse to answer.

-"You did figure it out on your own, just like Momiji said you did before" he chuckled. His words surprised Momo. She never expected her brother talking about that with anyone. It made sense, though. If Hiro was indeed part of the zodiac, then maybe Momiji trusted him.

-"So, I'm asking you again, which one of them are you?" She knew that she was pushing him, almost forcing him to answer, but she really wanted to know.

-"I was the ram." He said in an even, firm voice. He discovered that it was easy for him to admit it to her, and the fleeting thought that it was just the way it should be helped him to stay calm. He felt the familiar sadness and longing washing over him, as it always happened when he talked about the curse. It was Momo he was talking with. He knew that it was fine to tell her, but still those feelings started to make their way into his heart again.

-"Really? That's so… I bet you were so..." she giggled. He recognized the beginning of a girl squeal and decided to put a stop to it.

-"Don't you dare finish that sentence with 'cute'. I mean it." he warned sharply. She laughed. He always managed to give orders with so much authority that nobody could ever dare to defy him. She turned to her window and started to count the cars around them, which was easy since they were all but parked in the middle of the road. Hiro didn't mind the silence: it wasn't awkward or tense. He thought that it meant that they were done with the conversation, and he focused his whole attention back on the street. 'It wasn't that bad.'

-"I feel cheated" she said after a while. Hiro knew that she was still talking about the curse and mistook the disappointment in her voice for an accusation.

-"I didn't mean to hide it from you. It just never came up before." _'Why am I scared? She knows about Momiji, and she's fine with it." _It had been years since he last felt the angst, the fear of rejection. The emotions were so strong that they could be heard clearly in his voice for Momo to notice.

-"It's not that! Seriously, you are reacting like Momiji about it! Are all of you so scared of it? To tell you the truth, I don't understand what the big deal about that curse thing is." She didn't really expect an answer, so she was shocked when he started talking.

-"It is just a tale to you. The way you see it now, you'll never understand what it meant." He sounded so unsure, so hesitant…"That's good, though." Having said it to Momo, he realized that it'd be the same for Hinata-chan. She'd never understand either, and he discovered that he felt somewhat relieved knowing that. "So, why do you feel cheated?"

-"I'll never see what Momiji and you looked like in your other form," she pouted like a child. Hiro was so surprised at first that he didn't say anything for a moment. And then he laughed. Relief and amusement washed away the last of his reservations for this girl. She really made it seem as if it wasn't that big of a deal.

-"You really are something," he managed to say. He kept on. It was liberating to know that she didn't think of the curse as disgusting or terrifying.

Momo turned to stare at him. Hiro was actually shaking and bent over with laughter. He looked different: so young and happy. It reminded her of the fact that he was only three years older than her. He was still a teenager himself. The way he behaved most of the time, it was as if she was dealing with someone much older. She liked his serious personality, though, even if it was frustrating sometimes. It made him who he was. Because of it, she better appreciated times like this when he was just a boy, carefree and fun to be with.

-"If you're really that interested, you can ask my Mom," he suggested when he finally caught his breath after a while. "I wouldn't be surprised if she kept some pictures. I think she misses the little lamb." She didn't miss the affectionate way in which he talked about his mother and his other form.

-"She took pictures?" He shrugged, not giving her a real answer. For all she knew from her own brother, it wasn't something they liked to talk about, but she wanted to know. She was about to ask more, but he beat her to it.

-"She said that it was still me, even if I looked different. So, she took pictures," he explained with a quiet little laugh. "I don't even know why I'm telling you this. It's embarrassing," he confessed. Momo noticed that he was nervous. She'd never seen him acting that way. He was usually confident in everything he did and said.

-"And you? Do you miss the 'little lamb' too?"

-"Not really. It's something else… I don't know how to explain it. I don't even know if any of the others feel the same. We never talk about that, you know? It's just so… sad." He was too serious, even for him. Momo could tell that Hiro was being completely honest with her, and it made her happy to think that he trusted her so much as to tell her something so private for him.

-"What do you mean?" She decided to take full advantage of this unique opportunity. He did say that he was going to answer her questions… It took him a little while to answer in an extremely sad voice.

-"That day, when I was finally free," he started, looking at her for a moment before returning his attention to his driving. It looked as if there was an accident up ahead. She made a little encouraging sound. "It was like the connection… the closeness with the others had been cut off in a second, and then this overwhelming sadness and loneliness..." She noticed that he was struggling to find the words to explain his experience to her. She couldn't remember any other time it had happened before. "I still feel like there's a big part of me missing. As if the one thing that made me special… died. I wanted to be free, but now I miss the feeling of belonging to something." She couldn't help it but to sympathize with him. Somehow, she could feel the helplessness and the nostalgia radiating from him as if they were her own. She wondered if Momiji felt the same way too. There was as much sadness in Hiro's voice as she could still hear it in his brother's sometimes.

Momo said nothing about it. She didn't agree with him, but she didn't try to prove him wrong either. She just listened to him, and that was all he needed. Hiro sensed her understanding through the silence between them. She hesitantly took his free hand between hers in a comforting gesture. Hiro didn't seem to mind, apparently too focused on the traffic surrounding them. He did notice, though, the way her fingers shyly started tracing the contour of the veins on the back of his hand, and then they way she slowly turned it over and continued with the lines on his palm. To him, the fact that she was willing to touch him after she knew about the curse was proof of her acceptance. He was not her brother, someone who she was expected love unconditionally because of the strong bond of their blood. She was choosing to accept him, even after she knew what he considered to be his darkest secret.

As much as he usually disliked being touched, he found that he was unable to pull his hand away from her. He was, in fact, enjoying the feeling of her soft hands around his.

He knew right then and there that things would work out for them. They could really make it. Akito had finally planned something right for a change.

Hiro said nothing to her. She'd taken his hand in an instinctual attempt to comfort him, and he didn't pull it back. Momo took her time getting acquainted with the feel of him: his long fingers, the slightly rougher texture of the tips with which he typed, and on the sides at the places where he held the pens and pencils he worked with all day; the slightly bulging veins on the back of his hand, and the grooves of the lines on his palm. All the while he didn't say a word, or even turned to look at her. He just let her do what she wanted, accepting her touch, accepting her. She didn't know how to tell him that, to her, he was special because of the person he was, and not because he belonged to something. Nothing had changed because she'd known him only as Hiro, the intelligent, confident young man who could make her laugh with his sarcastic comments. The same man who could explain patiently any subject in a way that made it easy for her to understand. He was the man who took time off work that day to go to the audition with her because he cared. She suspected that her brother was behind his coming with her, but she knew better than to think that he did it only as a favor for Momiji.

She knew then and there that she wanted more from him. She wanted more of his time, more of his laughter, and even more of his sarcastic remarks. Momo wanted to become someone as important to him as he was to her.

After a while, he pulled over at a small fast food restaurant. It was, ironically, a _foreign_ franchise. It was a cozy little place, and she liked it as soon as they entered. Momo noticed that it was close to her school, though she didn't remember ever seen it before. The woman behind the cash register smiled at them and made small talk to Hiro, so Momo guessed that he used to visit often. He introduced her as 'Momo-chan', and provided no further explanations about their relationship. He paid for their food, and soon he was carrying a tray and leading the way to a table at the back of the place. Momo was in charge of bringing the all too heavy napkins and straws. They finally settled on a table with a nice view of the street and the car. She unwrapped her selection: a hamburger.

-"So, did you get your report card? How did you do?" Hiro asked. His voice was still calm and quiet. She wanted to have her Hiro back; the one she was used to deal with. This sadness about him was unnerving. Momo pulled the paper from her tiny purse and handed it to him with a grin identical to her brother's on her face. He could tell without looking at it that she'd done well.

-"Here it is, Hiro-sensei," she said in a childlike voice. He had to unfold the sheet of paper several times to be able to read it. It was a copy, he noticed. Hiro scanned the grades and smiled in satisfaction. She was doing much better than at the beginning of the term. "I'm free for the rest of the month until the beginning of April" Momo said. She was cradling her head between her hands, elbows bent and planted on the table, palms on her cheeks and looking very much like a little girl at that moment. "It took them forever to give me the report card. I took the make-up test last week!" she whined. She finally saw a little smile on his face before he spoke again.

-"So, what will you be doing this next couple of weeks? Any plans of how to better waste your time?" She noticed with delight that his voice was almost back to normal. He started to pull out the onion rings out of his hamburger before the amused eyes of Momo. She giggled, and Hiro gave her a sheepish smile when he realized that she'd caught him doing something so childish. "I did say that I didn't want onions in it!" was his argument. She wondered how it was that she never noticed that he didn't like them before. Momo made a mental note not to give him raw onions to eat in the future.

-"I can do some gardening, and maybe do some…" Momo made the gestures for what she meant and Hiro provided the words, "knitting and… embroidering" Hiro raised an incredulous eyebrow at her, but said nothing about it, too busy pouring ketchup on his meat to think of a fitting reply yet. He just sighed and shook his head in a resigned way, not bothering to look up from his food. She couldn't lie to him.

Momo laughed at her own joke. Guess he could tell that she didn't know how to do either thing. She finally responded. "Mayu-sensei can always use some help with the twins now that she'll be taking care of them during the school break. I can also play the violin, and write the tons of e-mails that I need to send to my friends back in Germany…" she trailed off. Now that she thought about it, maybe half a month wasn't enough time for all she needed to do. "Don't worry, though. I'll keep cooking dinner for you boys."

-"You're going to be on vacation. That means no lessons" he reminded her before he took a large bite of his double-meat hamburger.

-"So what? Aren't you going to visit just because you won't be tutoring me? I thought that you liked us" she pouted. "Or is it that your Mom wants you to have dinner with your own family once in a while?" she giggled again. Hiro looked at her seriously for a moment, as if he was debating whether or not to tell her something. He decided against it, so he said instead:

-"My Mom is fine with it. She says that she doesn't have to cook for the equivalent of a small army anymore. My Dad is actually happy. He says that they're saving a fortune now that someone else is feeding me." Momo laughed. He had once again managed to say all that with a straight face. He went on. "Are you going to miss me so much that you're willing to put up with me during your school break?" he smirked. "Now that's a first. People usually can't wait to get away from my charming self."

-"Of course I'll miss you!" she said, and it was the truth. The prospect of not seeing him almost every day scared her, but she decided not to tell him that at that moment. She decided to take a detour in the conversation. "Anyway, I think that your little fan club misses you even more." He snapped to attention as soon as he heard the words, and he found himself facing the impish smile of Momo. _'So, she wants to play.'_

-"My fan club?" He thought for a moment, trying to figure out who she was talking about. "You mean those girls at school?" She said yes. He snickered. "Is that what they told you?"

-"They didn't, but a teacher suggested that they would've created one if they weren't banned now."

-"I know… the last unfortunate man to suffer the pains of being worshipped by his very own fan club was Yuki. I didn't get to see it myself, but I heard stories about it that were still popular when I went to high school. Momiji should know more about it. He and Yuki went to school together," he explained in a conversational tone.

-"Guess we'll have to ask him one of these days," she agreed.

-"Speaking of my devoted fan club… I don't think that they're going to like you that much when you go back to school in April." She looked at him, and she was faced with a pair of eyes full of mischief. He was smiling, and she recognized the situation as a dangerous one.

-"Why?" was her timid reply.

-"Well, they kind of are under the impression that you are my girlfriend," he said. The way he said it, it was as if he'd told her that it was going to rain that night.

-"Why would they believe that?" she asked. She couldn't figure out where he was going with that conversation.

-"You know the running gossip at school. Apparently people there think that I have a girlfriend in America…" he started.

-"Do you? I've heard that too." He looked into her questioning eyes. _'So, she's heard that too. I wonder who told her.'_ Hiro resolved that it was time to clarify that to her once and for all.

-"No, I don't," was his firm assertion. She knew that the way he'd said it meant that it was not debatable, but she was really curious.

-"So, where did they get that idea from, Hiro?" He knew that it was not the time to tell her yet. He would, of course, but he didn't want to spoil the moment, so he ignored her question.

-"I decided to humor them, so I told them that my girlfriend had been living in Europe, and that she was back. Then you came out of the school and…" Momo forgot her question when she heard the story.

-"Aaaargh! They sure hate me now, and it's your fault!" she accused. Hiro worried about it not being the best way to approach the subject. Maybe it was too soon…

-"If you find the idea so terrifying, you can always tell them that I lied," he waved it off with his free hand. Deep down, he was waiting expectantly for her answer.

-"They know that you're my cousin, so they won't believe it," she said mostly to herself. She realized that in fact, she kind of liked the idea of them thinking that she was Hiro's girlfriend.

-"Second cousin;" he corrected. She missed the slight hesitation in his voice. "In this family, you have to know your relation with the other Soumas. Maybe you should add that to the list of things to do during your vacation." He went back to his food, apparently unconcerned about the topic. Inside, he was anxious for her reaction.

Momo decided to find out exactly what it meant being his second cousin. She had the impression that he was pointing out an important fact, and not just making a casual comment.

-"Ok, second cousin you are. What does that mean?" Tohru had said something about it too just a few days before, and he had just provided the answer about their exact relation.

-"In our family, it means that if I say that you're my girlfriend, there would be no objections." He laughed at her shocked face, and decided to push it a little further when he saw her blushing. "Even more, if we ever decided to publicly announce our engagement, there would be more than a couple of people pleased with the idea." He knew that it was a risky move, but he really wanted to know what she thought. She just laughed.

-"Now, don't tell that to your fan club, please. I really value my life," she managed to say in between giggles. "I'd love to see their faces if we ever tried to pull that off, though." He smiled. So far, she didn't seem to dislike the idea, or even dismiss it completely. It was a good sign. She managed to catch her breath after a while, and he had to wonder whether she was blushing or the redness on her face was the result of her laughter. Either way, she looked cute.

-"So… did you call them?" Her voice shook him out of his contemplation. It took him a moment to realize what she was talking about. He took a sip of his soda before he answered.

-"I did. I talked to Kagura this morning and she said she'll be there. She was the last one on the list." She loved it that they had been working on this project together. It took a bit of coercing on her part, but he agreed to help her in the end. They made a good team, and were now finishing the last details.

-"You think that Momiji will like his surprise party?" She was excited like a little girl about it, so, early on in their planning he started to see it as a fun game they were both playing.

-"You are his sister. You tell me." She loved the way he could act like a little boy sometimes. It was so unlike the Hiro people told her about, and yet she knew that it was just a side of him that he didn't usually show to others.

-"You've known him longer than me," she said with a grin.

-"You live with him." He countered, and then snatched the rest of her fries right from under her nose. She gave up trying to get a straight answer from him at the moment, and decided to retrieve her stolen fries instead. Hiro glared at her for a moment before he smiled again and took another bite of his food.

-"What else do you think we should do for the party?" she asked before she put one of the fries in her mouth.

-"You can buy a big cake, you know, the kind where a girl pops out from the inside wearing almost nothing and singing 'Happy birthday'?" She laughed so hard that she almost choked. It amazed her that he could make that kind of suggestion and still look so serious. He went on, unaffected by her laughter. "Whatever you do, don't forget to buy candy and desserts. You know that he loves them. And the cake is a must, even without the girl inside."

-"And whatever you do, don't even think about getting any alcohol into our house," she warned. She had decided days ago that she didn't want alcohol of any kind in her home. If they ever needed some, they could always go to Hatori-sensei's house.

-"Whatever gave you the idea that I would dare to smuggle liquor into that burrow of yours?" He faked his best affronted expression, and Momo spoiled her lecture by smiling at the sight.

-"I don't know, but I remember a very much underage drunk lamb sitting in our living room just a few nights ago." It was payback time. If he could call her and Momiji 'bunnies', she could call him 'lamb', she decided. Hiro didn't seem to notice the nickname.

-"I was not drunk. I told you that I just had two beers." Hiro wondered if she had the chance to wear the clothes that she'd tried to hide from him that night yet. He shook his head, trying to erase the mental picture that started to form in his brain.

-"In any case, I guess that I should blame my brother for letting you drink any at all. He's supposed to be the responsible adult." She knew that Momiji would never have the heart to try to stop their cousin from doing what he wanted, and that even if he did, Hiro was not the kind to listen to reason and obey quietly.

-"That's what you get for expecting a bunny to grow up at heart," he countered.

-"As far as I can see, the lamb seems to be following in his footsteps." Her voice might have been firm, but her smile ruined once again the effect.

-"That's the second time you call me 'lamb'," he said. She was surprised to hear that he did notice after all. "You do realize that by calling me that you have irrevocably given up your right to complain about me calling you 'bunny'?" He was looking at her with his trademark smirk in place.

-"So, you are ok with that?" She could hardly believe it. She had expected him to complain and to ask her to stop calling him that, not to agree with it!

-"I guess I can make a concession if it's you," he said. She wondered for a brief moment why he'd be willing to make that exception only for her, but couldn't think of a reason. "…just don't do it in front of anyone else." Again, the way he said it gave no room for an argument, but this time it didn't sound like an order at all. He was asking her nicely. She nodded.

They finished eating while they planned the last touches for Momiji's birthday party. When they were done, Hiro drove back to the Main House and walked her home. Once they were at her door, Momo kissed him goodbye on the cheek as she always did. She giggled. He raised a questioning eyebrow.

-"You never kiss me back. How do you expect your fan club to believe that I'm your girlfriend, then?" She was giggling again. It was a bold move on her part, but if she really wanted more from him she needed to push things a little.

-"You are playing along with the joke? Have you no mercy on those girls? They will die of a broken heart if you tell them that!" His shock was not as fake as he made it look. _'Is she really ok with it?'_

-"I'll think about it," she winked at him, though she was blushing terribly at the moment. He couldn't take his eyes off her. "See you tomorrow night, then?" Her question was shy, but he didn't notice, too busy getting over his shock. He only managed to nod.

-"Get in," he told her.

-"Good night." She said before getting in and closing the door behind her. Once she was safe inside her house, the blush grew brighter and the giggles louder.

Outside, Hiro shook his head, a smile on his face, before turning around and starting his way back home.


	12. Late night conversations

Hiro walked into the house that night, and as he expected, dinner was already over. His mother was rinsing the dishes, and his dinner was waiting for him on a plate on the table. He'd always thought that any kind of house chores represented an occupational hazard for her, but she insisted on taking care of her family herself. He loved that about his Mom. It was good to know that there was someone waiting for him to get home and to talk about his day with. His mother had always been a constant in his life, and he was grateful for her presence and support even during the darkest times of his life.

Hiro took a seat in the kitchen and started to sip the tea that she had given him as soon as he walked in. He knew that it was her way of telling him that they needed to talk. She'd chosen to do that in her own domain, which meant that she expected total honesty and no interruptions. Satsuki kept rinsing the dishes while he told her about the placement exam that day.

-"So, is she good at playing the violin?" She really wanted to know about Momo. The last time she'd talked to her, Momo-chan had been a shy little child hiding behind her mother. Talking with Hiro-chan about her lately, she had the chance to get to know her through her son's eyes. So far, she liked the girl she'd become. Hiro smiled that special smile that she only saw when he talked about her. There were so many emotions mixed into it that she still couldn't tell them apart.

-"She's very talented," he acknowledged. "She reminded me of the time when Momiji used to play too." He got silent after that, focusing on his tea. After a moment, Hiro looked up at his mother. Satsuki made an encouraging movement with her head, in addition to arching an eyebrow the same way her son did when he questioned someone. Hiro took the hint. "We went and had something to eat by ourselves afterwards, since Momiji is going to be back late tonight. Then, we planned some more of the birthday party for next week." He shook his head in amused disbelief. He still had no clue of how she ever talked him into helping her with that project. "Today I finished calling the last of the people on that list she made me do. They said they'll be there, though I suspect that they're going to the party mostly because it provides them with an excuse to see Momo. Did you know that Momiji asked us to wait some time before we visited her so that she wouldn't have all of us clinging to her at once?" Satsuki laughed a little. She remembered hearing more than a couple of relatives complaining about that. "Momo says that she's going to bake the cake, but I told her that maybe she should buy…" Something Hiro-chan said came back to her…

-"Why didn't you bring her here?" she asked in the middle of his account of the day's events. Hiro lifted his eyes from the cup of tea and looked at Satsuki with guilty eyes. "You had a chance tonight to bring her over for dinner and you took her to a restaurant instead?" He kept silent. "We've asked you before to bring her home. I want to meet her, and so does your father. If Akito-san and you are really serious about this, at least I want to get to know her before it becomes official." Hiro flinched as soon as he heard the last sentence. He was still getting used to the idea himself, so being reminded of the impending announcement still sent shivers down his spine.

-"She knows nothing of Akito's plans," he explained, "and neither does Momiji, as far as I know."

-"You haven't told her yet?" He shook his head. "Why?" Akito's words from that day over two months before came back to him.

'…_**the only way you'll ever get a wife is if I make her marry you.'**_

-"I don't know how…" he whispered. It was more of an admission to himself than to his mother. Satsuki knew that it was true. He had very little experience with girls. As far as she knew, Kisa-chan was the first and only girl he'd ever dated.

-"Don't you like her?" He smiled shyly, the same way he'd done it the first time she asked him about Kisa-chan. She thought that he looked cute. Unfortunately for Satsuki, she knew that those smiles were becoming scarcer every time. He gained confidence with each passing day.

-"I do like her. We've spent a lot of time together lately, but I don't know yet if I'll ever like her that way." The kitchen was quiet for a few minutes, while Satsuki finished drying the dishes and Hiro stirred his already cold tea with a spoon. After a while, he voiced his thoughts aloud for his mother to hear: "Besides, what if it's the other way around? What if she doesn't like me?" He kept his gaze fixed on his cup, but his mother could tell from his voice that he was afraid of every single possibility, be it good or bad. "Will Akito make her do it just because she says so? Who else besides this family still believes in that kind of arrangement? That's so… old fashioned." He knew that it wasn't as uncommon as he'd like to believe, but…

-"Tell me, Hiro-chan, is Kisa-chan the real reason why you are against it?" Hiro looked at her for a moment, thinking about her question, before he answered.

-"I'm not against it. You know that this was my choice, in a way. To be totally honest, I don't really know how I feel about it… about her. And Mom, please leave Kisa out of this. She has nothing to do with it." It was still very painful to be reminded of Kisa, and it did make his decision a little harder to make, but he'd decided to let go of her once and for all. His mother could read his emotions easily. She just knew him too well.

-"You still love her. That's why you're hesitant, isn't it?" Hiro remained silent for a few minutes. He never talked about Kisa-chan anymore. Satsuki decided to change the topic, seeing that her son refused to answer. "I saw Momo-chan the other day. She's a beautiful girl." It was true. She had seen her a week ago at Hatori's house playing with the twins. It was disconcerting at first glance: the girl was the living image of her late mother, and Satsuki never really liked the woman much. However, seeing her smiling and trying to keep up with the very hyper pair of toddlers, she decided that Momo was a sweet young woman. She liked her then and there.

-"You probably know this already, Mom: It doesn't work that way." Satsuki smiled. That was more like her son.

-"I know, and I'm sorry that it has to be like this." She already knew the answer, but she felt that it was her duty to make the suggestion anyway: "Maybe it's not too late. You can still go to that college in America if you want to. Just tell Akito-san that you changed your mind. Nobody will blame you for it."

-"I am where I have to be." His tone of voice spoke of an unbreakable resolution that left no room for doubts or negotiations. "I'm starting college in the fall, and by that time I will have worked out this issue with Momo." Satsuki knew that he would see to that for sure. He never backed out of something he saw as his duty or responsibility.

-"When is her birthday?"

-"September", he answered automatically.

-"So, you have until then?" Hiro nodded. "What if Akito-san tells her, or if she finds out before you talk to her about it?"

-"Then I'll have to think of something. Akito agreed not to say anything yet, though." Hiro looked more confident than he felt. Akito did agree to that, but there were no guarantees when dealing with her.

-"I hope she doesn't," Satsuki replied. Looking at her child sitting at the kitchen table like he used to do since he was a toddler, Satsuki marveled at the realization that her baby boy had become a man. It seemed to her that it had only been a moment since he sat there in his high chair learning to say his first words, and now he was on that same spot talking to her about the future that she always thought to be so distant from them.

-"Hiro-chan", she called him. Hiro looked at her with that seriousness of his written all over his face. She rested her hip against the kitchen sink, the damp towel hanging from her hand. "Don't worry so much about the future. I'm sure it'll all work out just fine." Hiro nodded.

-"I got that feeling today, too." His smile was hopeful. She sympathized with her child. It must've been hard for him to be forced into that situation, but she knew that it was the best that could've happened to him. Momo would be good for him. She could already see the effects of her influence on Hiro. He just needed time to realize that.

-"Really? What happened?" She left the cloth on the counter to dry, and turned back to her son.

-"I told her about the curse while we were driving back from the academy." She saw the surprise on his mother's face, so he explained. "She didn't know about me." Satsuki said nothing and waited a moment for Hiro to continue. "Maybe it's because of Momiji, but she listened to me, and she…" He looked at the hand she'd held that afternoon. The warm feeling of her hands on his still lingered on his skin. "She didn't reject me." Satsuki breathed out in relief. Truth be told, she had always been worried about how her son could ever explain the curse to others, and their reaction to it. She thanked God again for bringing Momo back to their family.

-"Of course she didn't! You're a great boy!" She went to him and hugged him tightly. Hiro enjoyed the hug, though he'd never admit it to anyone besides himself. Talking about the curse reminded him of the time when it was impossible for him and his mother to be that close. They came closer in ways he never thought possible the day his mother hugged him for the first time.

-"Hiro-chan, when am I finally going to meet my new daughter?" Hiro laughed with a mix of embarrassment and nervous anticipation.

-"I'm bringing her home soon, Mom. I promise"

Momo woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of dishes clicking and drawers opening and closing. When she reached the source of the noise, she found her brother and cousin in the middle of making a mess out of her usually spotless kitchen.

-"What are you doing?" she half yawned. "Don't tell me that you are thinking about cooking something at 1:00 am."

-"Hi, Momo-chan!" Ritsu waved at her, and she couldn't stop herself from grinning. He was her favorite cousin together with Hiro. "I'm so sorry that we woke you up, really! I told Momiji-kun not to do this, but you know how stubborn he can be, and I…" He was stopped by a giggling Momo kissing his cheek. It was good to see that some things never changed. He would be prone to apologizing for the rest of his life.

-"No problem. I'm happy to see you, even if you are destroying my kitchen right now."

-"I apologize for the mess. I'll…"

-"Hi, Momo-chan!" It was her brother this time, effectively interrupting their cousin. "I can't find a pot to boil water in. Where did you put them?" It was frustrating for Momiji sometimes. Since his sister moved in, she claimed ownership of the kitchen. She rearranged everything in it to her liking, resulting in him not knowing where things were anymore. Momo sighed. She walked to her brother and greeted him with a kiss before she bent down and pulled out a pot from one of the lower cabinets. Momiji blinked a couple of times.

-"I know. You never thought of looking down. What are you making, by the way?"

-"Ramen" but men said at the same time.

-"I thought that you were planning to cook a turkey, with all the noise you're making."

-"Sorry…" they said. She sighed.

-"Give me that, nii-san. I have the feeling that out of the three of us, I'm the only one who knows how to boil water, or even turn on the stove." Both men tried unsuccessfully to stop her, pointing out the fact that it wasn't her fault that they were hungry in the middle of the night. Soon, however, both of them were sitting at the table with their bowls of ramen and a big sandwich for each.

-"I thought that you were having dinner with a client tonight?" She placed two glasses of water in front of them, and then sat across from the boys to keep them company.

-"We did, but you know how it goes: too much talk and too little food," Momiji explained in between bites. It was good to see him eating dinner with less than perfect manners, but smiling happily for her. He was never that relaxed back in Germany. It was as if he was trying all the time to make a good impression.

-"And since we're still hungry, we decided to come and see if you had any leftovers..." Ritsu-kun kept surprising her as well. He looked so different right then: partially unbuttoned shirt with the sleeves rolled up, slouched over his bowl of ramen and slurping every now and then with a contented smile on his face.

-"…which we don't, obviously, since Hiro-kun was here yesterday," Momiji finished in a way that carried the 'I told you so' implied. Ritsu chose to ignore the bait, and focused on their cousin instead.

-"Hiro-kun is still coming over every other day?" He knew about Hiro going to Momiji's house, of course. He had even run into him more than a couple of times in the past few weeks when visiting Momiji and Momo. He had seen more of him in the past two months than he had in years.

-"He is. It's good, though. His visits are saving us a lot of space in the refrigerator lately." Momiji didn't care about the boy eating his way into obesity, though. He liked having him present for dinner.

-"He said that his parents are happy that someone else is feeding him now." Ritsu noticed that Momo was smiling in a different way now that she talked about Hiro. He had a hunch that it meant something, and that he would find out about it soon.

-"So, is he behaving nicely? You know how he can be sometimes." Ritsu decided to prove his suspicions correct.

-"Well, he didn't turn into a tame lamb overnight." It was Momiji who answered, instead of Momo. "He's still his sarcastic charming self, but he's got manners, so don't worry. That's something we have to thank aunt Satsuki for." Momo laughed at her brother's account of Hiro's behavior.

-"I know. Hiro-kun was the luckiest one of us. He has wonderful parents." Momiji just nodded, not looking up. Momo had been listening to the conversation, so she noticed the reference.

-"Us?" Ritsu nodded.

-"I'm sorry," he said with a shy smile. "I guess I forgot to tell you, right? I was the monkey." As soon as he said the words, Momo saw his smile becoming melancholic. Momiji said nothing, but the smile vanished from his face. Momo decided to lighten the mood. She didn't want to see Ritsu and her brother go through the same thing as Hiro did that afternoon. By now, she figured that the true nature of the curse was more of a great shadow of sadness rather than the transformation itself. In that sense, it seemed to her that the feelings associated with the curse came back whenever the topic was discussed. Guess it would take a long time yet for the former zodiac members to heal completely.

-"Great! I'm surrounded by a bunny, a monkey and a lamb. It's just great!" She smiled playfully. If nothing else, her comment took both men by surprise.

-"He told you?" Ritsu was shocked. It was some kind of unspoken rule that the former zodiac members only revealed their secret to those closest to them. To do so was a proof of their trust, and it was something a few had ever earned.

-"Finally!" Momiji didn't think much about it. He was just glad that Hiro had decided to tell Momo at last. Momo laughed, all traces of sleep gone from her voice and eyes.

-"Yes. I decided not to give him lamb for dinner anymore." They had laughed at the lamb episode that afternoon during dinner. Momo felt embarrassed at first, but Hiro dismissed it saying that since she didn't know, she had done nothing wrong.

-"You didn't!" Ritsu's shocked, almost terrified expression finally made Momiji laugh.

-"You don't know the whole story. You would've thought that he had just eaten a relative!" Ritsu joined in the laughter. "I guess it didn't help much that he didn't understand what we were having for dinner when Momo-chan told him. He's really having a hard time eating German food." That was a story worth passing down to future generations. Hiro would never hear the end of it now that Momo could join in the lamb jokes.

-"He complained about it today again. He says that I should cook something whose name he can actually say," Momo mock pouted.

-"Just give him _onigri_ and see if he likes it," Ritsu suggested. He knew what Hiro was going through. He'd had the same problem the first few times he joined them for meals, before he decided to stop wondering and to enjoy his food.

-"That's a good idea. I'll do that the next time he comes." Momo decided to try that. She wondered if he liked onigri.

-"He keeps bleating, but I have yet to see him refusing to eat." Momiji was determined to have as much fun as he could at Hiro's expense. The fact that he wasn't there to defend himself was an added bonus.

-"You can't blame him. He's still a growing boy." Ritsu pointed out. Momiji just shrugged. They resumed their dinner in silence for a few minutes.

-"I'm sorry Momiji, but I'll have to steal your sister from you. She's a great cook." Momo blushed at Ritsu's compliment.

-"It's just ramen and a sandwich," she countered.

-"I regret to contradict you: it is a great sandwich. Besides, this is not the first time that I eat something you've made." He turned to her brother. "Momiji, you really have to be careful. Some guy might just decide to marry your baby sister one of these days." Momiji narrowed his eyes. He didn't like the idea one bit, and it showed on his face.

-"She's too young for that," he said a little curtly.

-"It won't matter if you are the jealous kind of brother. It will happen someday for sure." Ritsu kept smiling, but he could tell that he had touched a sensible topic for his cousin.

-"Someday, in the distant future, I might consider the possibility." Momiji realized that Ritsu was right; he just wasn't ready to let go of his sister so soon after he finally got her back. Besides… "I seriously doubt that anyone deserves her, though."

-"That's for sure. Unfortunately for you, she'll be the judge of that, won't you, Momo-chan?" Momo nodded with a nervous smile. Ritsu kept joking, but looking at his cousin he knew that she already had someone in her mind.

Momo was blushing.


	13. Kidnapping the bunny

A shadow over him appeared silently, blocking the incoming light of the window in his office. Momiji tensed immediately and sat a little more straight before trying to see who was there. A finger on the tip of his nose gave him a clue. He looked up from the stack of papers he was signing to find a visitor across his desk. A smile immediately lit up his whole face, and he relaxed once more when he realized that it was safe to do so. Though unexpected, it was a pleasant surprise to see his little sister in there. She looked out of place in the formal environment of a business office, and by the way she was dressed in simple jeans and a plain pink t-shirt, he deduced that the reason why he didn't hear her coming in was because she must be wearing sneakers. The girl in front of him placed a big, heavy bag halfway between them and right on top of a pile of documents pending signature. Momiji chuckled at Momo's lack of subtlety.

-"I came here to kidnap you," she announced without preamble in the sternest tone of voice she could produce. She saw with satisfaction the way her brother's eyes widened in fake panic. It was so easy to play with him! She wondered for the millionth time how different her childhood could've been if she had grown up with her big brother. Until three months ago, she believed that she was an only child. The change had been more than welcome. She absolutely loved being the baby sister!

-"Are you planning to ask for a ransom? It'll be pointless. My mean little sister won't pay." Momo giggled when she heard the 'resigned' announcement. The playful attitude clashed with the black suit and tie his brother wore that day. He resembled a toddler dressed for a funeral. It was just plain wrong. Or so she thought at the moment. The man really looked the part of the important businessman when he wasn't snorting and joking like a kid.

-"No ransom, nii-san. I just want your undivided attention for a whole day. You've been so busy lately that I never see you anymore." It was true. Those days, he was hardly ever home, weekends included. He said that it was only temporary, but she was starting to doubt that. Though she made a purpose of not getting frustrated over his demanding working schedule, she just had it a couple of days ago when he sent Hiro-kun in his stead to take her to the music academy for her placement audition. She didn't complain aloud, because she knew that he felt guilty enough already. He never told her about his fear of failing as a brother/parent/guardian, but she knew. It was in his eyes every night when he got home at last and asked her about her day. The man needed a break and she needed her big brother back for a whole day. If she had to resort to this underhanded strategy, then so be it.

-"Momo-chan, I'd love to, but I can't…" Momo cut off the long list of reasons why he couldn't leave his office. She was sure that she knew them by heart by then.

-"I already took care of your busy schedule. Your assistant…" she took a moment to remember the name. "Tanaka-san cancelled all your appointments for the rest of the day for me." She ignored the way he flinched when he heard that. He must've going over his schedule in his mind, trying to assess the damage. "I told her that I need to talk to you about some investments that I want to make, and also to go over my account statement to make sure that you're not stealing from your defenseless little sister." The wink she gave him belied the seriousness of her statement. "I am the defenseless little sister, nii-san", she sighed when she saw the 'confused' look her brother sent her way. "I also decided that you need more sugary colors in this office." Momo pulled a crystal container full of candy out of the huge bag while she said it and placed it in a corner of the desk. She had been there the day after she got back. Her brother brought her along that time so he could sign a couple of papers and schedule an improvised two-day vacation to spend some 'quality time' with her. She remembered the place well. After all, she'd waited for him inside his office for an hour until he picked her up and took her out for lunch. It was impressive, but then again, a little too dark in her opinion.

"When did you start carrying that thing around!? Are we running away from home or something? Looks like you have everything and the freezer packed in there already!" he made a move as if trying to peek inside, but Momo stopped the action by smacking his hands. Momiji moved back his hands to his chest and started rubbing them. 'That hurt.'

-"No" she answered his last question. "I decided that since we're going out today, you have to dress accordingly. So, I brought you a change of clothes." She proceeded to empty the contents of the aforementioned bag on Momiji's desk. He barely had time to make room for the clothes and avoid having his paperwork ruined.

-"About the bag… You make fun of it, but let me tell you: it is very handy" …and it was pink denim! 'Where in the world did she find that?' Momiji concluded that he needed to pay more attention to whatever she bought in the future.

-"I thought only old ladies had a need of those. Usually girls carry tiny handbags with barely enough room for their mobile phones…"

-"…and the lipstick. I know. Well, I'm not the average girl. I have a bunny to babysit, which is the reason why I carry a diaper bag around." Momiji was laughing now so hard that Tanaka-san peeked in for a moment to make sure that her boss was fine.

-"I thought it was the other way around…" he pouted when he could gain a little control of himself. Momo smiled at him and Momiji had the feeling again that they had made the right decision months ago. It was hard to remember all the heartache of his past when he shared moments like this with his baby sister. "So… is this a date, Miss Souma?" he lowered the tone of his voice and looked at her with that charming smile of his. Momo wondered again if he was aware of how irresistible the man could be without even trying… much. Heidi still asked about him every time they talked on the phone and she had only met him once!

-"It sure is, since you're paying, Mr. Souma," she told her in German while she batted her eyelashes at him.

-Mm. Figures. Pretty girls are only after my money." Momo wondered if there was any truth behind that statement. Probably.

-"Says the man who hands out unlimited credit cards to teenage girls for a shopping spree." She laughed when she saw him flinch. That had not been pretty. She had to run for cover when Momiji saw the account statement… The whole episode ended in a lengthy discussion about his tendency to buy everything she laid eyes on. He promised not to spoil her so much in the future. 'The credit card incident', however, became the subject of some of the funniest jokes between them.

-"Don't worry. I took it from your share…" he told her. She laughed with him.

On his way out, Momiji decided that he had to know… "I have a question, though," he said. "Where did you get neon-colored candy?" A visit to a candy store was definitely in order that day.

-"You'd be surprised to find out how handy it is to have a driver at home." Usually, Momo didn't feel comfortable being driven around by a stranger, but today she had to make an exception. She supposed that she would have to get used to it, at least until she got her driver's license. She couldn't expect Momiji or one of her cousins to do it for her forever.

Since dinner time caught them while they were still out, they decided to forgo dinner at home and celebrate by eating all kinds of snacks at the movie theater. Momo's idea of making him change clothes before they went out resulted in her having to give him his birthday present two days before the party. Momo was still shocked that he didn't own suitable clothes for informal occasions. At that moment, the pair of bunnies wore jeans and T-shirts. Momiji realized that he missed his old clothes from the days of his adolescence. It had been definitely a great idea to go out with Momo. He enjoyed the beautiful spring day and forgot all about work in a much needed day off. Everything was fine until the moment they found out that they had very different concepts of what a good movie was.

-"So you want to watch this one?" Momiji pointed to the poster of Momo's choice of movie. 'Figures she'd go for the chick flick,' he sighed. He reasoned that it could've been a lot worse if Momo was a few years younger… He remembered Hiro-kun telling them with excruciating detail the one time that he was forced by his parents to take Hinata-chan to the movies. Momiji checked his watch. They only had five minutes left to make up their minds if they picked Momo's suggestion. She was willing to compromise for another movie, but they'd have to wait another hour to get in. He ran a hand through his hair and braced himself for the worst.

-"Isn't that Tohru-chan?" Momo asked. Momiji turned around, and there she was, in line for tickets with a well-known carrot head. He should've been used to that feeling now: the stab to the heart at the sight of them together. It wasn't the first time, but still it hurt just the same. While they watched, the couple bought the tickets and rushed in to catch the beginning of the movie. There must have been something on his face that helped Momo make her choice. "Nii-san, let's wait an hour. We're going to be late for this one anyway."

Momiji nodded absently, not taking his eyes from the spot where he'd last seen Tohru. Momo took his hand and dragged him away. 'So much for a perfect day.'

As the teacher lectured the class from the front of the crowded room, Kisa looked out the window at the clear blue desert sky. It was a unique shade of blue specked with the occasional cloud. The city she was living at now was so different from her former home that it might as well be a whole different world… which was the reason why she liked Arizona so much.

Despite the suffocating heat in the summer, the lack of snow in the winter, the sand storms and the completely different lifestyle, the city grew on her during the first year she lived there. She was a nervous wreck when she first arrived: a new city in a far away country, a different language, no family or even acquaintances at all. It was exactly what she wanted, and yet, the challenge in front of her at last scared her out of her wits. The summer ESL classes helped her to get to know her surroundings and to make new friends among the other people who, like her, needed to polish their language skills.

Keeping busy prevented her thoughts from wandering back to Japan, to the Soumas. As much as she loved her family, she believed that she had made the correct decision detaching herself from them. She felt the need to be her own person, and that wasn't going to happen as long as she stayed under the shadow of her family. Even though Akito was not the tyrant she used to be in the past, she still controlled them with an iron fist and kept to herself the final say in any major decision taken. She had to appeal to Akito's guilt over her treatment of Kisa in the past to finally get permission to leave, but all the effort was well worth it now that she felt more independent than ever before.

Spring in Tempe turned out to be a pleasant surprise. The explosion of color of the flowers in bloom and the fragrance of the lemon and orange blossoms invaded the air and lifted her spirits even as she had to walk under the scorching sun from one room to the next all over campus. Fortunately for her, this was the last class of the day, and then she could enjoy a peaceful afternoon with her homework.

Against her conscious resolve, she wondered what Hiro was doing at that moment.

Back in Japan, Hiro was carrying Hinata-chan to her room. She'd fallen asleep in his bed once again. He didn't mind it, usually, but trying to sleep in the same bed as his baby sister was an unpleasant experience to say the least. He'd found that out the hard way, of course. The way Hinata-chan hero-worshipped him made him feel a million emotions all at once. He hugged the little girl to him in a way that he'd never let anyone see. He had an image to maintain, after all. He remembered the day his parents had brought her in from the hospital the day after she was born. He had to control the unexpected impulse to take her in his arms as he saw his father do. Back then, the thought of hugging her someday seemed impossible to him. It was also the first time that he really tried to imagine what it'd be like becoming a father himself and not being able to hold his own daughter.

Hiro put Hinata-chan in bed and tucked her in. He pulled a lock of black hair from her little face before turning on the lamp on her bedside table. Like most little children, she was afraid of the dark. He stayed a moment there, watching her sleep, before he turned around to go back to his room. A stray thought crossed his mind when he remembered that of all his family (his parents and sister), only he had a different hair color. He wondered if his own children would be black-haired too. In the past, whenever he thought of his future with Kisa he assumed that they'd have children, but never gave it much thought. He'd been so sure about spending the rest of his life with her back then…

And now he was planning how to propose to another girl.

Life sure has an ironic sense of humor.

As he passed in front of a window, he looked up to the starry sky. It was an unusual sight in a city. He supposed that it must've been a clear sky all day long. He wouldn't know, of course, since he didn't get to see the daylight lately. He smiled bitterly to himself. He was becoming his father.

He wondered what time of the day it was in Arizona. What was the name of the city Kisa had run away to? He allowed himself the guilty pleasure of remembering her, and wondered, for the thousandth time that day, what she was doing at that moment.


	14. Confrontation

Akito arrived with Shigure early to the party, carrying a colorfully wrapped gift. Momo wondered if the weight of it was in proportion to its price, in which case it was bound to be a really expensive gift. She placed it on a table set up on a corner of the room for that purpose.

It still shocked Momo to see Akito wearing a kimono. Made of the finest red silk and decorated with a floral pattern, it accentuated her figure elegantly. Momo had wanted a kimono for some time, but feared the reaction that other people could have to seeing a foreign looking girl wearing something so traditional, so, she hadn't voiced her wish to her brother yet. Though Akito was not curvaceous like Momo, she definitely had the shape of a woman. Akito's short hair was cut in a stylish way that accentuated the feminine face. Even years after she finally revealed herself as female, she kept the same movements and speech patterns, which gave her a tomboyish air. Momo couldn't understand why Akito ever pretended to be a man, being so beautiful. Momiji told her that there was a long story behind it, but didn't elaborate. Momo assumed that it was just another of the countless secrets in the family that she would have to figure out on her own.

Momiji had warned Momo against thinking that just because Akito seemed more approachable now, that she could be friends with her. Akito could be really intimidating when she wanted to be, and even Momo remembered as much from her own previous encounters with their head of the family. However, when Momiji had gone with Momo to Akito's house to inform her of his taking her in, Akito seemed to Momo like a completely different person. Momo liked her immediately. It was something that went beyond her looks but that came from inside. Akito seemed to be in peace and content, or at least that was what Momo thought. Akito asked her that day about her future plans, her former school and her friends back in Germany, and even her love interests while 'Shigure ojii-san' talked with Momiji about the rest of the family and their jobs. Because of her brother's warning, Momo kept herself at a distance from Akito after that day, though she really wanted to get to know her better.

The look in her eyes told her that deep down; Akito was just another lonely girl who needed a friend. She was in love with her husband, and she looked happy by his side, but… the way her eyes kept searching for the reassuring presence of Shigure in the middle of the crowd told her that she felt a little out of place among her own family. Momo could definitely relate to that.

The decorations of the house had been done by Momo with the unexpected help of a human typhoon called Kagura-chan. The woman showed up at the house early that morning with a duffel bag which contained a change of clothes hanging from her shoulder, and Hiro's car keys in hand. She was wearing jeans, sandals and a plain shirt and had her long hair up in a pony tail. After re-introducing herself, she dragged Momo out to the store to buy everything for the party. While Momo cooked, Kagura took it upon herself to 'cheer up' the house with hundreds of balloons, a banner, confetti and all sorts of things that Momo had the feeling would be a pain for the maids to clean up later. The place looked nice, though. Her cousin was very talented and creative. After the place and the food were ready, the girls had a simple meal while they talked about all sorts of girl stuff. Then, Kagura took a shower and an hour later, she had transformed into a sophisticated woman. She then proceeded to helped Momo with her make-up and hair, and after she was done, declared proudly that her talent as a beautician, combined with Momo's naturally striking looks, had turned the younger girl into a princess straight out of a fairy tale. The moment she looked at herself in the mirror, Momo could hardly believe that it was her own reflection staring at her. She hoped that Hiro would like what he saw that night.

All the cousins were there, as well as some of Momiji's college and high school friends. Momo wished that Hiro was there already. There were too many strangers in the house, and the people she did know were much older than her. She decided right then and there that she needed to make some friends next term in school. Tohru was great, but most of the times she acted more like a mother. Hiro, although much closer to her age, was a boy, so she couldn't talk with him about some topics. It was the same thing with Momiji. However well intentioned he was, there were just some things she couldn't discuss with him… ever. Kagura was a new friend, and she liked her, but she didn't know yet if today's episode was a one-time thing. Her cousin was already lost in the crowd, talking with some relatives. She called Heidi and a couple of her other girl friends in Germany often, but it just wasn't the same. At that moment, despite being surrounded by so many people, she felt every bit the foreigner she really was in more than one sense. Despite her best efforts, times like this made her long for her old home.

Tohru-chan arrived with Kyou-kun carrying another gift. Kyou-kun looked uncomfortable and even a little guilty as he looked all around the room for Momiji. He relaxed a little when he was told that he was still on his way home. Tohru seemed to be making a big effort to be cheerful for the both of them. Momo could only imagine what it was like for a girl to be led into the house of a man who loved her by the hand of another man who she loved, but she decided that it was time for both her brother and his best friend to restore their relationship. Momiji was hurting, but she knew that in the end, he would realize that it was not worth it losing his best friend to a broken heart. Besides, it would've been rude to deny Tohru an invitation to her best friend's birthday party.

Next came Rin and Haru, followed shortly by Mine and Ayame 'ojii-san'. Before the eccentric couple could begin to plot a new fashion collection project featuring Momo, she got a message from Ritsu telling her that they would be there in five minutes. So far, Momiji was still oblivious to the whole thing. The rest of the guests arrived a just a couple of minutes before Momiji got there, so they barely had time to turn off the lights and quiet down before they heard voices outside the door. As soon as Momiji entered the house, flanked by Hiro and Ritsu, he was assaulted by the cheerful mob chorusing a very loud 'happy birthday'. After a copious rain of confetti and more congratulations, the assembled crowd scattered around to enjoy the party. Tohru was the last to congratulate him. After a brief exchange with their eyes and an almost imperceptible nod from Kyou, Momiji pulled Tohru into a crushing hug and a feet lifting spin. Momo watched them and couldn't stop herself from smiling.

'True friends always find ways to mend torn bridges. Momiji will be fine.'

Momo turned around to find Hiro's eyes locked on her. It only took a couple of strides for him to be standing before her with a new look in his eyes that she couldn't identify. She blushed when Hiro bent slightly down to be hugged by her, and to her utter shock, he kissed her cheek back. She realized that Hiro was now a couple of inches taller. Momo took his hand and lead him to the kitchen to help her carry something, laughing all the way and looking happy. Hiro tightened his hold of her hand and obediently followed. Neither of them noticed Momiji looking at them with a glint of suspicion in his eyes.

-------

Momo decided to follow Hiro's suggestion of letting the maids do the cooking next time. As much as she enjoyed spending time in the kitchen, she couldn't afford to do everything herself when preparing a party. Kagura-chan had been a real life saver, and Momo could never be thankful enough for Hiro's foresight in sending their cousin over that morning. She thanked him again, but he laughed it off and said that it was not surprising for a bunny to miscalculate the extent of her capabilities. She only pouted in reply, which only made him laugh harder.

A little crowd made up in its entirety of men gathered around the table where the food was located. The home-made snacks must've been very tasty, if the way they seemed to vanish almost instantaneously was any indication. They were starting an argument about who got the last piece when Momo and Hiro arrived with more. She quickly put the snacks in their place while Hiro held the heavy tray, which he handed to her once it was empty. The guests could barely refrain from snatching the treats before they were settled on the table.

Momo was just turning to leave when she was suddenly pulled from behind, her back colliding with someone else's chest. The food tray that she had been holding slipped from her hand and fell to the floor with a resounding clang, making the guests turn to the source of the sound. Her captor, a man she deduced by the scent of cologne that surrounded her, rested his head on her shoulder. His breath tickled her neck, and she felt a shiver running down her spine as she fought the impulse to giggle. Momo could feel her face turning red from embarrassment, though the sensation of being held in such an intimate way was not entirely unpleasant. Momo started to say something when she felt a pair of strong arms tightening their hold of her waist and a caressing voice speaking behind her ear to someone in front of them.

-"Momitchi, you've been so selfish, keeping this beautiful flower hidden from us."

Momiji's eyes flickered with annoyance and he made a motion to pull his sister away from Shigure, but Hiro beat him to it, placing a blushing Momo behind him after separating her from their cousin. "Don't you have a wife somewhere around here to pester?" Hiro made a visual sweep of the room as he said the words. He located Akito sitting on a sofa across the room, asking her with a look to do something about her husband. She smiled wickedly. Hiro got the message: Akito agreed to remain silent, but Shigure never made any promises. He was free to talk.

It was a well-known fact that Shigure had the darkest, most cynical sense of humor in the whole family. Fortunately for them, everyone was somewhat used by then to his jokes, so they usually didn't pay him much attention… except when his comments seemed to have a double meaning. It was something you could always expect from him, particularly because since he married Akito he had access to privileged information. Unlike her, who preferred the direct approach when scheming a plan or solving a problem, Shigure gave away pieces of the puzzle for others to put together in order to get the whole picture. In the end, trying to make any sense of whatever he said was better than waiting until Akito felt like disclosing her decisions to the family. This time, however, Shigure went for the blunt approach.

-"You want me to look for my own wife so that I stop pestering yours? My, my, don't tell me you're the jealous kind?" he laughed mockingly. Hiro didn't reply, just glared at the smug smile on Shigure's face. "Don't worry. I won't steal her away from you. I just wanted to give my beautiful cousin a hug. Allow me to be the first to congratulate you instead, Hiro-kun. Don't you think that she'll be a beautiful bride?"

-"Your comments are out of place, Shigure. I suggest that you keep them to yourself" Hiro finally replied, in a hopeless attempt to silence his cousin. By this time, Momo dared to peek at the assembled crowd all around them from behind Hiro's back. The room had become silent. It seemed that everyone in the room had heard the commotion, though her cousins barely raised their voices. Shigure chose to ignore the order from Hiro.

-"I'm only stating a couple of facts. Some people just have all the luck, like you. You got the job, the power that comes with it, and even the girl, and you had to do nothing at all!"

-"You are hardly in a position to decide whether or not I deserve what I get. Besides, there's no such thing as luck. Everything comes with a price." How dared Shigure tell him that he got everything for free! The man knew perfectly well Akito's plans. He knew all Hiro would have to do to get what he would be given.

-"Are you regretting the price you had to pay, Hiro-kun?" Shigure asked, and Hiro almost missed the furtive glance to Momo as he said the words.

-"I refuse to keep listening to your inane chatter. Once again, stop pestering your hostess." The order was more than evident, as well as the warning in Hiro's voice. Shigure ignored both.

-"You didn't answer, Hiro-kun. Don't you thing that she will be a beautiful bride?" Momo was blushing terribly. She didn't understand the meaning of all they were saying, but she knew that it was important. She held her breath in anticipation, waiting for Hiro's answer.

-"Have you forgotten about me, Gure-san?" Ayame pulled Shigure's sleeve, looking at him with the best rendition of watery puppy eyes Momo had ever seen. Ayame's question terminated the argument effectively, and Momo saw most of the guests roll their eyes before turning back to whatever they were doing before. As the conversation moved to another topic, Hiro was for once grateful for the interruption. He picked up the tray from the floor and grabbed Momo's hand to take her as far away from Shigure as possible.

Momiji remained silent, watching the scene before him with scrutinizing eyes. As soon as Shigure got distracted flirting with Ayame, Hiro pulled Momo aside to make sure that she was fine. There was something new about the way Hiro looked at her and grabbed her hand… possessive and protective at the same time.

-"Will you stop that, Shigure, Ayame?" Hatori, ever the voice of reason, finally talked some sense into his shameless cousins. "Really," he sighed, "you two have absolutely no sense of propriety."

-"Hari!", both Ayame and Shigure whined.

------------

-"What was all that about?" hissed Momiji as soon as he could push Hiro into an empty room. To his credit, Hiro didn't even flinch or feign ignorance of what his cousin questioned him about. He looked calm and collected, though inside he knew that his future, or at least a part of it, was up to the man in front of him to decide.

-"You are an intelligent man, Momiji. I'm sure that you have already figured it out. Shigure outlined the plan for the whole family to know."

-"I am aware of what he said. That aside, I am asking you a question."

-"You want me to spell it out for you? Very well," Hiro braced himself for Momiji's reaction to his next words. He sighed, stretching the pause as long as he could. "I was called to Akito's house a couple of months ago. You are already aware of my career plans," Momiji nodded, "…so I won't bore you with that part of our conversation. Part of her plan is to make sure that I settle down in the near future, and that I do so by finding a suitable wife. Since in her opinion, I'm too insensitive and ill-tempered to achieve that on my own, she decided to enforce her right as head of the family to play matchmaker. You figure out the identity of the girl who got stuck with me for the rest of her life."

-"When were you planning to tell me about it, Hiro? Better yet, who was going to let me know about this? Was that going to be you… or Akito? And since when are you letting her dictate your life?" Momiji's voice was barely below what people would consider shouting. Good thing that this room, which ironically belonged to Momo, was in the farthest corner of the house. Hiro made a great effort to control himself and to think carefully his answers before voicing them.

-"I don't know whether to feel flattered or insulted by your assumptions: Flattered that you think of me as the selfless kind to sacrifice my future for the sake of this illustrious family, or insulted that you even imagine me spineless enough to submit quietly to Akito's orders without a motive of my own." Though his voice dripped sarcasm, it was honest in a way that only Hiro could manage to be.

-"What is it, then?" Momiji's anger abated a little with Hiro's answer.

-"I assume that you carefully evaluated all the implications of a marriage between Momo and me." Hiro stated. Momiji nodded.

-"You surely understand that I don't agree with this plot. I won't let you force my little sister into something she doesn't want." Hiro looked at the side of Momiji that most people never got to know. Like the rest of the former zodiac members, there was a layer of darkness in his very soul that remained even after the curse was lifted. In Momiji's case, he kept it buried under the cheer and the smiles. However, the darkness manifested whenever Momiji sensed a threat to the ones he loved.

-"Would that be the only reason why you'd oppose Akito's decision?" Hiro had a dark side, too. Momiji could see it all the time lurking in his eyes, usually disguised as distant politeness. This time though, Hiro looked ready for a counterattack.

-"No. I also must be sure that you really love her" Momiji answered sincerely. And then, he decided to voice his greatest fear bluntly. "I don't want her to become Kisa-chan's replacement."

-"You leave Kisa out of this!" It was the way Hiro said the words: his voice firm, strong, the authority backing up his statement that made Momiji believe that he was truly the best man for the job ahead of him: A man who would need a woman by his side who could support him and complement him. Despite all his character flaws, there was no doubt in his mind that Hiro was an honorable man. He would protect and provide for Momo. Momiji's concern was for her emotional well-being. He could tell that Momo felt something much deeper than fraternal love for the boy, and he wanted to avoid her getting hurt by Hiro of all people. He really liked him, but he wasn't so sure about him being able to make his sister happy.

-"Can you honestly tell me that she won't become her replacement, Hiro?" Momiji repeated. "Unlike Momo, I've known you your whole life. I know better than to believe that you are over Kisa now. I don't want you to hurt Momo just to do what Akito said!"

-"As you said yourself, you know me better than that" Hiro calmly countered. "Do you really think that I would go through the trouble of getting to know her if I was just following Akito's orders? I want to do things right, and that includes asking her first and taking into account what she wants." Momiji appreciated the honesty of the answer, but…

-"What if she says no?" It was a possibility. He could tell that Momo liked Hiro now, but what about in five or ten years? What if she got scared when she got asked? She was only fifteen! Both men had been standing the whole time, but when Momiji made the last question Hiro sat slouched on the bed and ran his hands through his hair. He remained silent for a minute before he finally sighed and answered what he knew to be true.

-"You know Akito" he said without lifting his eyes to face his cousin. "Even if I try to cancel it, she won't listen." Momiji nodded, though Hiro didn't see it. Hiro smirked. "You can always do what your father did last time and take her back to Germany, away from the manipulations of this family." Hiro's voice remained eerily calm, but what he said shocked Momiji more than a shout could have.

-"What?"

-"You heard me." Hiro finally looked him in the eye. It never occurred to him that Momiji didn't know the reason behind his father taking his family away. "Your father didn't want to get away from you. He wanted to get what he could save of his family away from Akito, even if it meant exiling himself."


	15. Girlfriend

The biggest news in life have a funny way of showing up when we least expect them, or even when it is too late for us to do something with the information received. For Momiji, being told the reason behind what he considered his father's abandonment was even more shocking than being told about Akito's plot involving his sister. It smashed everything he took for granted for years and made him realize that in the end, he didn't know his own Papa at all. In light of this revelation, the way Hiro phrased his explanation made a lot of sense…

-"He couldn't save me because I was too tied to Akito to ever dare going away even if he had asked me." Momiji looked Hiro in the eye while he said the words, and he could see that his cousin understood exactly what he meant. Momiji continued thinking aloud. "Besides, the situation between me and my family at that time was complicated enough as it was. There was no way to explain to Momo-chan and her mother a sudden desire to adopt me into their family…" Momiji sat down on the bed as realization struck him after so many years. It provided a small amount of comfort to know that he hadn't been left behind because of a lack of love from his father, but it still hurt to realize that, given a choice, his father preferred Momo and her mother over him. Momiji didn't cry. He'd shed his last tears for his parents and what could've been almost seven years ago. It didn't mean that it ever stopped hurting, though. He loosened his constricting tie in two jerky movements and then leaned backwards supporting his weight on his arms. From his position on the bed he could see a picture of Momo and her parents sitting on the bureau.

-"Tell me, do you know what my father was trying to protect Momo-chan from?" Momiji knew from personal experience how cruel and manipulative Akito could be, and wondered what his father had to give up in order to free the family he loved and to be able to go away with them. He smirked sadly to himself. It was pretty obvious, now that he thought about it: the price had been his first born son, and he'd paid it.

-"I don't know for sure." Hiro admitted. "Maybe Akito wanted to use your sister in some twisted plot of hers. I don't think that this crazy idea of marrying her off to someone within the family is a sudden inspiration," he told his cousin while he ran a hand through his hair. Momiji had to agree. That would be just the kind of news that would force his father to go away. He'd lost a son to the Soumas already. He surely wasn't about to give up his innocent daughter too.

Hiro allowed his cousin to ponder the situation for a few minutes while he took the chance to look around. The room was girly, but not overly so. The walls, the bedspread and the curtains were a soft shade of yellow, and at least half a dozen of small cushions on pastel colors supported a teddy bear and an old rag doll. Hiro smiled and wondered if she still played with them sometimes. It occurred to him that Momo probably had to leave behind the rest of her dolls as well as many other things in order to follow her brother and build a home with him in Japan.

Momiji's foremost concern was his sister's happiness and well-being, which he'd been entrusted with only three months before. It was a privilege that he considered sacred. As shocking as it was, Hiro's revelation about Akito's plans gave him a strange kind of relief. He knew that Hiro was strong enough to care for and to protect his sister, and there was no doubt in his mind that Momo was fond of the younger man already. He had a hunch that both teens could become a lasting couple if they allowed their relationship to grow. Also, Momo and Hiro getting married meant that few things would change in the future, something that he'd secretly feared for some time. Still, this whole idea of Momo getting engaged at fifteen made him uneasy.

-"You told me that you plan to ask Momo-chan what she wants, but what do you want? Do you really agree with this?" Momiji still had a hard time believing that Hiro would submit willingly to anybody's orders, even if they came from Akito.

-"I'd rather marry someone I know and like instead of having Akito imposing a total stranger on me." He answered in almost a whisper. Momiji could only see Hiro's profile from where he sat at the foot of the bed. Because of his messing up his hair with his fingers before, loose bangs of it now covered his eyes. He looked a little weary slouched as he was on the bed. Momiji almost laughed at the sight of him surrounded by pastel lace cushions and idly tracing the pattern of the dress of Momo's doll with his finger. It was moments like this that reminded him that Hiro was still just a boy, no matter how he behaved and spoke most of the times.

-"She was a stranger to you until two months ago. I know that you never had a close relationship with her in the past. So, I'm guessing that this is the reason why you started coming over." He could see Hiro stopping himself from picking up the teddy bear and instead clasping his hands together as he redirected his eyes to a spot in front of him on the wall.

-"I know that it's been a few weeks, but I know now that she's a great girl. Besides, I don't need to hide a thing from her. She knows and understands our pasts and she accepts us as we are." Hiro looked and sounded like the teenager he still was as he talked about Momo.

-"And she can cook," Momiji added with a grin.

-"That too..." Hiro conceded, and Momiji could see him smiling fondly. By that time, he was somewhat used to Momo's dinners. He still refused to learn the names of the dishes she served; regardless of her insistence that he repeated them aloud with her.

-"But you don't love her." There was no reproach in Momiji's voice. He just stated a fact that Hiro couldn't deny.

-"I don't", he conceded and he ran his long fingers through his hair again in a gesture that Momiji came to associate with anxiety. Hiro knew that it was useless telling Momiji that he was trying, that he was growing fond of the girl and that he had a feeling that they could work it out somehow. His cousin didn't need to know either how he'd been struggling to forget Kisa while trying to imagine his future with Momo. The truth of the matter was that at that moment, he didn't love her the way he was supposed to.

-"She really likes you." Momiji simply said. He'd been noticing the small changes in their relationship as it evolved into something else. Momo showed emotion freely, and liked to prove her love to the people around her through hugs and kisses. She also had no reservations in saying her feelings aloud. He could tell that she was a good influence for Hiro and himself. They both were used by now to her spontaneous displays of affection and had even started to reciprocate them in kind. Hiro made her happy, and as a brother, he was grateful to his cousin for that.

-"I know." Momiji was shocked to discover that Hiro could still blush like a kid. "I like her too" he confessed without lifting his eyes from his interlaced fingers. It was awkward for Hiro to talk about his feelings with Momiji, but he knew that his cousin deserved the truth.

-"It's not enough that you like her. She deserves to be loved." Hiro sensed the request in Momiji's voice.

-"I know that." Hiro replied firmly after a minute, and then he smirked. "I'm not as dense as Akito thinks I am."

-"And you deserve to love the woman you will be spending your life with." Hiro nodded in reply. He took a deep breath and asked Momiji the question he'd been dreading to ask:

-"Would it be so terrible having me as your one and only brother-in-law?" He tried to lighten the weight of the question by making it sound like a casual comment, but he was sure that he'd failed. Even if he liked Momiji and thought of him as a nice guy, he was still terrified of every possible answer he could give him. To his immense relief, Momiji laughed wholeheartedly before he replied:

-"No, it wouldn't be so terrible, Hiro-kun. I guess it could be worse". The younger man smiled shyly again. "I kind of like the idea, to be honest with you. I could order you around the rest of our lives if you become my little brother." Hiro shook his head in disbelief. Trust the rabbit to find a way of taking advantage of the situation. Momiji groaned after a brief pause. "I can't believe that I'm talking about this with you… or anyone else, for that matter! I've been dreading for months the day when someone came to ask me for Momo and suddenly bam! The moment is here and I'm laughing about it with you." Hiro remained silent, but he chuckled in amusement. Momiji continued after a brief pause. "I just think that you both are too young to have to worry about that. You're just what, eighteen?" Hiro nodded again.

-"It won't happen immediately. I have to finish law school before that, at least" he elaborated.

-"So that gives you a few years to help me make up my mind..." Momiji trailed off. He decided to let time take care of things, whether it was for bad or for good.

Hiro nodded his understanding. Momiji was willing to give him a chance.

-"Thank you."

Before Momiji could reply and the situation turned uncomfortable for both men, Momo walked into her bedroom.

-"What are you two doing here?" Her voice betrayed both indignation and surprise at finding them in her private kingdom. "People are starting to wonder where the birthday boy is. You have better not dared to make a mess of my things or else..."

-"Actually, I did rummage through your underwear drawer" Hiro told her without a trace of remorse. It was a lie, but she didn't need to know that. Momo blushed furiously, and Hiro guessed for a moment if it was due to anger or embarrassment. It made her look cute, which was the reason why he attacked her with comments like this so often. "It helped a lot, actually. I was just asking your brother for your hand in marriage." Hiro said seriously. The hint of a smile appeared on his lips for a second and Momo laughed at the blunt statement. She turned to her brother.

-"What did you say, nii-san?" she asked playfully.

-"I don't know yet. I was about to ask him to slay a dragon to prove his worth when you walked in." Momiji looked at Hiro to tell him without words that they needed to finish this conversation later. Hiro agreed with an almost imperceptible nod.

-"That's a nice one, nii-san. Are you trying to get every possible suitor killed?" She started to pull him off her bed and out of the room. Hiro stood up too and began to follow when Momo turned to him. "You will have to tell me what you were really doing in here later." She warned him and jabbed her finger on his chest to emphasize her point. Hiro caught her wrist with his hand before she could do it again, and then laughed. It was just too much. Hadn't she heard what Shigure said?

-"I'm serious, woman!"

-"Yeah, right!" she said and then yanked her hand free from his strong grasp. "Anyway, that's not how it goes, you know? You're supposed to ask a girl to be your girlfriend first." She was trying very hard to look stern while fighting the urge to break down in a fit of giggles.

-"I thought you already were. Isn't that what my devoted fan club thinks now?" He raised an eyebrow in challenge, his smug smile mocking her.

Momo just rolled her eyes and pulled her brother the rest of the way to the living room, followed by a still laughing Hiro.

---------

Nobody had the chance to question Momo about Shigure's comments, since Hiro and Momiji made sure of not to leave her alone the whole night. As for them, they knew how to deviate a conversation away from sensitive topics when needed, so they didn't have a problem with that.

That night, after all the guests left, only the three of them remained. Kagura was the last one to leave, promising to stop by during the weekend to take Momo out someplace fun. Hiro told her not to worry about the mess and to let the maids take care of it for her in the morning. Momo was so tired that he didn't need to tell her twice. She just had to put something in the fridge and then she was off to bed. Hiro helped her carry the leftovers to the kitchen. He asked Momiji with a look to give him a minute alone with the girl. He needed to ask her something.

Momo closed the door of the refrigerator and turned to leave when Hiro caught her hand to stop her. He looked at him with questioning eyes and once again noticed him looking at her in that new way of his. He ran his free hand through his hair while he gathered his courage and then looked into her eyes as he voiced his request.

-"Momo-chan, do you want to be my girlfriend?" His voice was firm, though the redness of his face betrayed him once again.

Momo's only reply was to throw her arms around him while she laughed out of pure happiness.


	16. Long distance friend

-"I get it!" Momiji covered the distance that separated him from the phone in three strides and picked it up just before the fifth ring ended. He could see Momo running into the living room with a cooking spoon in a gloved hand and then stopping when she saw him already speaking on the phone. He greeted the caller with a smile, even if the person on the other side couldn't see it. A happy laugh from a girl was his initial reply.

-"Hi! This is Heidi, Momiji. How are you?" the voice on the phone asked in German.

-"Hi, Heidi! I'm fine! How about you?" Momiji was able to switch between languages more easily now after living with Momo for three months. It was mostly due to the fact that Momo preferred to speak German whenever possible, and the only other speaker of the language around was him.

-"I'm doing great, thank you! You have to teach me what you just said means for future reference." Momiji could hear the flirtation behind the words, a thought that was confirmed by her next question. "Have I told you how much I love your voice, accent and all?" Momiji remembered how Momo teased him about making quite an impression on her friend. He remembered liking the girl, though he couldn't picture her features clearly since he'd only met her once. However pretty she was, the fact remained that, even had she not lived in Germany, she was much younger than him and all her beauty paled in comparison to Tohru's. That didn't mean that he didn't like the idea of a girl having a crush on him, though.

-"I'm flattered" He lowered the tone of his voice to the one he'd been told was the most seductive and appealing to women. "You have a nice voice too, and a great laugh as well. You want to talk with Momo?"

-"That's the main purpose, yeah, but I don't mind hearing you speak a little longer" she said in what he could only deduct was her own attempt at a seductive voice, which paradoxically made her sound childish. Momiji chuckled at the irony of the situation: It was to be expected that the girl who claimed to be in love with him had to live in another country whereas the woman he was in love with lived in the same city and considered him her best friend. He told Momo to come over to answer the phone. Momo rushed back to the kitchen to put away the spoon and the apron while Momiji gave Heidi a crash course of Japanese (…or at least tried to. He started by explaining the meaning of what he said when he answered the phone). Finally, Momo took the phone from her brother's hand to be greeted by a grunt from her friend.

-"Honestly, Momo, couldn't you take your time while I talked with your brother? On the one day that he picks up the phone did you really have to rush to answer for a change?! It's just my luck!" Momo laughed at her friend's frustration. Heidi made her know that she had her sights set on Momiji on New Year's Eve when they met for the first time after the funeral. She'd told her bluntly that she aimed to become her sister in law. Momo wondered how she planned to achieve that while living half way across the world; but Momo knew better than to underestimate the resolution of her friend. If she said she was doing something, then she'd find the way for sure. "So, what's new?" Heidi asked at last. Momo looked around to make sure that her brother wasn't listening before answering.

-"You're not going to believe this, but Hiro-kun asked me to be his girlfriend yesterday!" Momo said in an increasingly louder squeal. It was a dream come true. She still felt tingly all over even hours after the initial shock passed.

-"Really? Isn't he that cousin of yours who's been helping you with your homework?" Of all the people Momo told her about, she remembered Hiro quite distinctly thanks to the many long distance rate minutes her friend spent talking about him.

-"Yes! Isn't that great!?" Heidi cut in the middle of Momo's account of Hiro's many attributes as something the younger girl told her before came back to her.

-"No! Isn't that _wrong_? I think there's even a word in the dictionary for that." She didn't even want to say the word, but she knew that Momo understood which one she meant.

-"I was worried about that at first too, but then I learned that it isn't actually true. The family is okay with us being together, that much I know. From what I learned yesterday, there's even a conspiracy to have us get married. Can you believe that?"

-"What!? Momo, what do you mean?" …'and how can you be so excited about it!?' she finished in her mind.

-"You remember that yesterday was Momiji's birthday party, right?" Heidi wondered what that had to do with anything, but she figured she'd let her friend tell her about it.

-"How could I forget!" She sighed. "You've been talking about it for days, and I've been cursing my luck just as long for not being able to go. What does that have to do with that conspiracy you told me about?"

-"Well, remember Akito-san? She…" Momo started only to be interrupted again by Heidi.

-"Momo, you honestly expect me to remember all the people you ever mention in our conversations? How can anyone keep track of every single member of your overly large extended family, particularly with those names?" Heidi asked a little exasperated. Momo was talking like a sugar high toddler, rushing her words in a way that made no sense at all to her. She decided to redirect the conversation to the original path. "Just tell me what happened!"

-"You're no fun! I was just trying to give you all the details. Anyway, Shigure ojii-san, that's Akito-san's husband, he asked Hiro-kun if he thought that I'll be a beautiful bride." Momo still blushed when she remembered that.

-"What did Hiro say? Did he say yes and asked you there and then to be his girlfriend or what?" Momo could tell that her friend was both impatient and curious.

-"No! He and Shigure ojii-san said other things, but I didn't catch all of it. You should've been here, I'm telling you! The whole family heard!"

-"What. Did. He. Say?"

-"Who? Hiro? Nothing!"

-"Aaaaaargh! Can't you just tell me what happened? Get to the point already, Momo!" Said girl could tell that had Heidi been able to, she would be wringing her neck by then.

-"Ok, let me try to think straight. I'm so excited that I guess I'm not making much sense, or am I?" she asked embarrassed.

-"Momo…" the threat was more than clear in Heidi's voice.

-"Okay! Hiro-kun didn't say a word about it, but he didn't deny a thing either. He dragged me by the hand away from the crowd and told me to forget what Shigure ojii-san said. But you know me: as soon as he left, I looked for Kagura-chan and Tohru-chan and asked them about it."

-"_Kagurachan_? That's someone new, or not?" As soon as Momo started to explain, she interrupted her. "Don't answer that. Keep on."

-"Turns out that they found me first, and Kagura-chan demanded to know why I didn't tell her about me being engaged to Hiro-kun. I told her that I it wasn't true and asked what made her think so. Tohru-chan told me that Shigure ojii-san had just told the people at the party about it and once again Kagura-chan demanded to know why I didn't tell her before and asked for my bridal bouquet before Tohru-chan got the chance."

-"Hold on. Wedding? You told me that this Hiro guy asked you to be his girlfriend, not that he'd proposed to you! What kind of mess are you in, Momo?" Now that had been a surprise. How Momo could be talking about a wedding! She was a whole fifteen months younger than her!

-"It's a little complicated. From what I gathered, Akito-san, that is, our head of the family, arranged for Hiro and me to get married." Finally a straight answer! though it wasn't what she expected. Heidi wanted to believe that it was just a misunderstanding.

-"That's medieval, Momo. I'm sure they were joking, and even if they weren't, of course you told this woman to forget about it. Didn't you?" Momo could hear her friend's disapproval clearly. However, she wanted her to understand.

-"I told you it's complicated. You see, there's no way to tell Akito-san to forget about it. People in this family just do what she says," Momo explained calmly.

-"Again, that's medieval. No one should have that much power over the lives of others. And you never heard about this before?"

-"No. But you see, the way everybody talks about Akito-san, once she's decided on something, there's no denying her."

-"What if this _Kagurachan_ is wrong? Couldn't this be a misunderstanding?"

-"I don't think so. You see, while I was talking to them Akito-san came to us and asked to be left alone with me. She told me that she wants me to visit her tomorrow. She said that she wants to tell me something." Momo was serious now. Her voice trembled a little.

-"Are you going?" Heidi asked anxiously.

-"I have to." Momo said. "I'm a little scared, Heidi. She was so serious about it, I just couldn't refuse!" Heidi started to say something, but Momo interrupted her. "But after Akito-san left, I started thinking."

-"You sure you didn't hurt yourself? You're an artist, not a detective" Heidi said in an attempt to lighten the mood. Momo laughed nervously at first, and later she seemed to relax and return to her usual self. Her friend joined her.

-"You want to hear this or not?" She could almost see the vindictive grin on Momo's face.

-"Okay, so you started thinking" Heidi chuckled and rolled her eyes though the other girl couldn't see.

-"You know, this wasn't the first time I heard about Hiro-kun and I being a good match" the younger girl said coyly.

-"I guess I could agree with you. From what you tell me he seems nice enough, except for the fact that you two are _related. _Remember? _Cousin _Hiro?" she stressed.

-"_Second cousin _Hiro." Momo clarified sharply.

-"Meaning..?"

-"To tell you in Kagura-chan's words, that means that we can make a dozen kids together." Momo sounded so shy as she said the words that it was cute.

-"I have to decide later whether that explanation is gross or not. So, basically that means that you are related, but not so closely as to be immoral for you two to become an item." Momo made a noise of agreement. "So, when did _second cousin_ Hiro ask you to be his girlfriend? …And you better tell me all the details" Heidi demanded.

-"Well, Momiji got lost during the party, and we were about to cut the cake, and so I went looking for him and guess where I found him?" Momo said in a single breath.

-"You better tell me. I'm no good at guessing."

-"He was in my room, sitting on my bed with Hiro-kun."

-"I'm sure that your choice of words is just unfortunate and has no double meaning" Heidi said slyly.

-"Huh?" Momo was totally lost. She decided to ignore the comment. "So I asked them what they were doing and Hiro-kun said that he had just asked Momiji for my hand in marriage. He tried to disguise the comment as a joke, but I knew better by then."

-"Really? What did you say to him, then?" Heidi's curiosity had reached its peak.

-"I told him that things don't work that way and that he had to ask me to be his girlfriend first." Heidi wondered if Momo was indeed sugar high.

-"So he asked you then in front of Momiji?"

-"No. He asked me after the party, when we were alone in the kitchen."

-"Not the most romantic setting, but what can we do?" Heidi lamented. "Then what?"

-"Nothing else. Just that."

-"So, no big declaration of love?"

-"No" Momo sighed. Heidi remained silent. "I must admit that I was a little disappointed about that. You know, it would've been nice of him to say the words, but now that I think about it, maybe he doesn't love me that way yet. I can tell that he likes me, though."

-"So the man is that honest."

-"He is. You know how I told you that he sometimes is way too serious? Well, honesty is something that he takes very seriously. At least I can expect that from him."

-"But you say that this woman, Akito is it…?" Momo confirmed her statement. "That she decided for you and Hiro to get married. What if he asked you to be his girlfriend just because he's expected to do so?"

-"I told you that I thought about it last night, even after he left. The truth is that right now I don't care how it came to be. I mean, the fact remains that he asked me to be his girlfriend just like any other boy would. Wouldn't it be easier to just let me know that Akito wants us to be married if he only wanted to follow through on an order?"

-"You deserve more than this, Momo, and you know it. You could have any boy you want without having to settle for someone who is with you just because he was told to." Heidi knew that she was hurting Momo with her words, but she needed to be blunt in order for her friend to see reason.

-"I don't care!" Momo countered. "Maybe he doesn't love me right now, but I can make him fall in love with me if I try really hard, right? You said that I can have any boy I want. I want him. Why not take the chance I've been given?" The girl sounded so hopeful that it hurt Heidi to burst her little bubble of joy.

-"Are you sure about this, Momo? If you go along with it, you're going to get trapped in this and before you realize it, there'll be no way out."

-"Are you trying to talk me out of it?" Momo's irritation was evident in her usually carefree voice.

-"Yes." Heidi figured that the truth was always the best way to work out a problem. "I'm your best friend, after all. I'm worried about you, and I can't beat some sense into that thick skull of yours right now."

-"Thanks for worrying about me but you don't need to. I'm happy. Isn't that what every girl wants? Besides, I realized last night that I'm not afraid to marry him. I felt intimidated by Akito-san, but I like the idea of being Hiro-kun's girlfriend" Momo said resolutely. Heidi sighed. She recognized a lost battle when she found herself in one. The root of the problem was that Momo was in love with Hiro, and girls in love can't see reason. Then she thought of something. "What did Momiji say? Does he know?" Momo giggled uncontrollably for a whole minute before she could catch her breath long enough to answer.

-"I'm telling you. You should've been here. His face when he walked in on us kissing was priceless. He just cleared his throat and escorted Hiro to the door. We have yet to talk about it today. I'm guessing that he wants to do that during breakfast."

-"Who kissed who first?" Heidi's curiosity surpassed her desire to hear more about Momiji.

-"What?! What does it matter, Heidi. We kissed!" Momo squealed the words happily and Heidi knew that she was practically bouncing with joy. She sighed in defeat. Momo was happy. Was it really so bad not knowing Hiro's true motives for asking her to be his girlfriend?

-"Fine! Don't tell me." Heidi gave in. "But you have to tell me something at least. Was it good?" Momo giggled again.

-"It was better than I ever dreamed it would be." Momo sighed. And then, in barely a whisper, she made a confession that shocked Heidi speechless. "You knew about my two previous boyfriends, right? Well, you see… what I didn't tell you before was that, well… Last night, it was actually my first real kiss."


	17. The kiss and other related topics

For Vic-chan, who wanted the details which resulted in this chapter, and Tere, whose honesty is priceless.

-----------------

Momiji could already tell the effects the budding relationship with Hiro was having on Momo. There was a new spark in her eyes, as well as a dreamy little smile on her lips that seemed to be there to stay. She had been humming happily to herself all morning, and there was a skip in her step that wasn't there before. He didn't need to think much to read the signs: Momo was in love. He was surprised last night when he found them in the kitchen kissing. He knew that it was due to happen sometime in the future, but he didn't expect it to be so soon. Hiro had told him about his intentions towards his sister only a couple of hours before, and then he went and settled the basis of the dreaded (for Momiji) relationship with Momo right after the party. The kiss was innocent enough, in a way they looked just like the kids they still were. He realized with a jolt just how overprotective he really was when the blood boiled in his veins at the sight. His instincts raged inside him, demanding that he eliminated the intruder who dared to touch his sister that way. He had a murderous impulse to protect her, and it scared him to realize the depth of his love as a brother as he had never felt it before. He knew that he should be happy for Momo, but behind his anger, the truth was that he was terrified. He didn't want things to change. He knew that it was impossible, that she had to grow up and leave sometime, but he wished that he could stop time somehow. Once she left him he would be alone again. He had just gotten his little sister back a few months ago, and he already felt like she was slipping thru his fingers and he could do nothing to stop her. On the other hand, did his love for her give him the right to interfere with her life when she was enjoying it so much? Wasn't his main duty and concern to ensure her happiness and well-being? He looked at her again. She was touching her smiling lips absentmindedly. He wondered if she realized that she'd been sighing every so often since she started to make breakfast. He smiled wistfully. She was entitled to live and to love, and he would be there to support her all the way. So, it was with a bittersweet feeling that he observed the new Momo from his seat at the kitchen counter, pretending to read the paper while she cooked.

Momo was still in a daze after last night's event. She'd given up on sleep very early in the morning, and after spending an hour to select what she'd wear for the day and fixing her hair several times, she started cooking a hearty breakfast. Hiro told her that he would be coming by that Saturday, but he didn't specify the time, which was the reason why Momo was extra careful about her appearance and the menu. Even after she talked with Heidi, she still felt the tingling beneath her skin and the rush of excitement making it impossible for her to think of anything else. While she waited for the eggs to be done, her fingers moved unconsciously to her lips. What she told Heidi had been an understatement. The kiss had been much more than a dream come true.

The first word that came to mind when she tried to describe it was… awkward. Based on the stories she'd heard from her friends, it was to be expected of a first kiss. She hugged him… Okay, it was more like she flung herself at Hiro to squeeze him so unexpectedly that he stumbled backwards, she recalled fondly. Her joy was so great that it couldn't be contained inside her and spilled out of her in a torrent of laughter. He hugged her back a moment later with much more restraint, and chuckled softly in her ear before whispering softly 'I take that as a yes.' She nodded, lost in the sensation of being held in his strong arms, the warmth of his body, the soft texture of his shirt under her cheek, and that intoxicating scent of his that was so unique and addictive to her. Momo could feel the rise and fall of his chest against hers as he breathed and she enjoyed the moment of silence. It was reassuring, somehow. Hiro always made her feel safe and special. She could feel her pulse accelerating and the temperature of her body rising just as fast. She hoped that he didn't notice the way she trembled with the sudden rush of adrenaline flowing through her, or the way she slowly became unsteady on her feet. His breath tickled her neck and she giggled. She pulled apart to look at him, and she just knew that her treacherous eyes were begging him to say the words she wanted to hear. He seemed to be struggling within himself for a moment before finally making a decision, and even then, he was careful and very gentle with her. He didn't touch her face or pull her near or cradled her head between his hands. He just took her hands in his own and bent down to touch her lips with his. As for Momo, she was afraid of ruining the moment with her inexperience at first, but then she decided to forget all her fears and just enjoy what she knew was one of the most memorable experiences in a girl's life. Once she let herself get lost in the new sensations ignited in her by the kiss, it was all she ever dreamed and much more. His breath was warm, and she chuckled to herself remembering that he tasted faintly like chocolate cake. Momo kissed him back shyly, not really knowing what to do, but with a desperate need to show him how much she loved him. It didn't matter at that moment that she was only fifteen and naïve, or that the future was already decided for them. She knew with certainty that this was the only man she wanted to kiss for the rest of her life. She knew it in her heart and soul, in her bones and blood. She remembered the feeling of his fingers caressing her hands with the lightest of touches, and she could tell somehow that he was as nervous as her. She laughed softly to herself when she realized that she couldn't remember if she'd closed her eyes. Obviously, her mind was too busy at that moment to notice. Her first kiss had been sweet, and warm, and slow, and tender and oh so brief!

…the last was to be blamed on Momiji, who decided to cut the moment short by clearing his throat to announce his presence. They pulled apart instantly, though Hiro didn't release one of her hands. After an awkward moment of silence between the three, Hiro excused himself, and after promising to visit her the next day, allowed Momiji to escort him to the door.

The eggs were ready. She served two plates and placed a glass of milk in front of her brother. She knew that he'd want to talk about last night's events now that they were alone. She smiled at her brother and then bent down to place a kiss on his cheek. He looked relieved some after that, and with a smile he asked the question she'd been expecting since the night before.

-"So, Momo-chan, I take it you have a boyfriend now. Care to tell me about it?" he said as if they were discussing movie options. She smiled again. Trust her brother to make it sound like something simple when she just knew how anxious he really was about it. She nodded her answer before picking up her fork from the table. She told him what he wanted to know, including what she now knew about Akito's plans. Momiji looked surprised at that, but he didn't deny it, and that was all the confirmation she needed.

-"Don't worry. Everything will be alright, you'll see" he said in that soothing voice of his. She smiled again. "I know" she told him, and it was the truth. She knew that Momiji would always be there for her. They resumed their breakfast and made small talk about the party for a few minutes.

Her mind went back to the kiss, as it had since the moment it ended.

She wondered for a moment if Hiro craved a second one as desperately as she did.

---------------

Hiro sat once again at the kitchen table stirring his tea while his mother cooked breakfast and interrogated him about last night's party. He could see her frown when he told Satsuki what Shigure had done.

-"What did Momo-chan say about that?" Satsuki was worried that Momo-chan could get scared if she found out the truth in such a way.

-"We didn't have a chance to talk about it, but I can tell that she knows." Maybe it was the way she told him that he had to ask her to be his girlfriend first, or the way she clung to him and trembled in his arms laughing happily after he asked her, or the jumble of emotions coursing through him when they kissed for the first time, but he knew. "Besides, something else happened that took her attention from that," he said absently, still lost in the memories of the night before.

-"What did you do, Hiro-chan?" his mother prodded gently. She could tell that it was something important by the faraway look in her son's eyes. There was also something different in the way he talked about her…

-"Mom, you do realize that I outgrew the _chan_ several years ago, right?" He failed to make the barb sound like one. That was a first.

-"Of course I do! I just don't care. You're still my little boy and that won't change even when you turn ninety" she countered with an impish grin.

-"Mom!" he groaned in defeat. He supposed that he just had to get used to the fact that he would never grow up in his mother's eyes.

-"Don't change the subject Hiro_-chan_" she stressed the honorific for emphasis. The playful grin on her face ruined the effect, though. "What did you do?"

-"I asked Momo to be my girlfriend" he finally confessed in a voice so quiet that she had trouble hearing.

-"Really?" her eyes widened in surprise and the smile on her face was all the proof Hiro needed of her approval. Hiro got busy watching the spoon tracing circles in his tea again. "Did she say yes?" Hiro nodded his answer without lifting his eyes from the cup. Half a second later he found himself in the second bone crushing hug in a span of twenty-four hours. He could barely avoid being splashed by the scalding tea. His mother noticed and quickly took the cup from his hands and put it on the table. "That's great! I'm so happy for you!" She ruffled his hair affectionately. It wasn't a great loss. No comb had gone through his hair yet that morning. He was still dressed in the wrinkled old t-shirt and tattered shorts that he pompously called pajamas. He had nice, comfortable ones stored on the bottom of some drawer, but he preferred the rags he was currently wearing.

-"What's the occasion?" A new voice cut in. As soon as Satsuki released her son to go greet her husband, Hiro found his arms full of a chirpy six year old. How anyone could be so hyperactive at the crack of dawn was beyond him. He'd been told that he had been more of a handful at that age, and that had been the end of his complains. The girl sitting on his lap reached for the cereal and proceeded to eat directly from the box, asking him all about the party in between mouthfuls.

-"So, you have a girlfriend now?" Hiro turned around to look up at his father. He looked pleased, too. Hiro answered with a little smile and a brief nod. His father put the hand that wasn't on his wife's waist on his son's shoulder. "Congratulations, Hiro-_chan_", he mocked him after sharing a conspirational look with Satsuki.

-"Dad…" Hiro groaned and hung his head to look at his baby sister. "Better get used to that yourself, you know?" he warned her in mock resignation. Hinata laughed at her big brother's frustration and decided to cling to his neck to show her support.

-"When are you bringing Momo-chan, nii-_chan_?", she asked, oblivious to the previous conversation between her parents and brother. Hiro flinched. He gave Hinata a look that said 'not you too!', which was ignored by the girl. His parents doubled over with laughter in their seats. Hinata insisted: "So, when is she coming? Can we go get her?"

-"Maybe later…" he said distractedly. His parents wanted to know all the details. Hinata was not to be discouraged by the subtle dismissal, though.

-"You think she'd like to play with me? I can take Hana-chan with us…", she said pulling the front of his shirt. Hana-chan was her favorite doll.

-"Hinata-chan, Momo-chan is a big girl. Big girls don't play with dolls, honey" their father told her. Hinata pouted. Satsuki laughed softly.

-"You know, when I was Momo-chan's age I still sneaked to my room to play with my dolls" she confessed with a wink for Hinata. "Maybe she does that too. Anyway, I'm sure that she'll love Hana-chan as much as you do." Hiro flinched at the thought of Momo still playing with dolls, particularly as the memory of the rag doll on Momo's bed sent a pang of guilt to his soul. He felt like a fiend trying to rob Momo of her childhood.

-"Don't worry, Hinata-chan" he said for both Hinata's and his own peace of mind. "I know for a fact that she does have a doll." The little girl's eyes lit up with joy. "Now finish your breakfast, princess." He lifted her easily from his lap and seated her on the chair next to his. The girl ate enthusiastically, chattering all the while about the many games Momo and her would play. Meanwhile, his parents were planning a long overdue visit to Akito the next day. Hiro decided to stop by Akito's house that morning before going to 'the burrow' to see his girlfriend, and he told his parents as much before leaving the table to get ready for the day.

-"When did he grow up so fast..?" Satsuki sighed wistfully after her baby boy left the room. Her husband put a comforting hand over hers before placing a kiss on her cheek.

-------------

Hiro looked at his reflection in the mirror. He was dreading having to go to Akito's house, but he had to tell her about the most recent development in his relationship with Momo. He knew that she would demand more of him, but at the moment, asking Momo to be his girlfriend was all he could handle.

'My girlfriend... Momo is my girlfriend now.' He knew that he would need to repeat that to himself many more times before he got used to the idea. He was very fond of Momo, and he really liked her, and yet… He felt like he was betraying his own heart and taking advantage of an innocent girl who was clearly in love with him. He was sure of her feelings for him now: the way she trembled slightly in his arms, her soft laughter that brought a smile to his face when he heard it, and the fierce desperation with which she clung to him… And then, the moment he looked into her eyes when she pulled from the hug he knew it with certainty, and he couldn't ignore the evidence any longer. He could tell that she wanted him to say something, anything to reassure her of his feelings for her. As much as he wanted to spare Momo any sadness, he just couldn't bring himself to lie to her. It would be dishonest, and he swore never to lie to her since the day they met. He struggled to find the right words to tell her, to explain his feelings, but nothing came to his mind at that moment. Finally, he made a rash decision: he simply grabbed her hands and before he could change his mind, he kissed her. There were so many things that he wanted to tell her, but couldn't… He was willing to make a commitment to her, and to do his best for her and their future together. He really liked her, and deep inside, he had a feeling that he would grow to love her some day. It was just… he felt a little lost sometimes, with everything happening so fast around them, and all the pressure from Akito, Shigure, Momiji, the rest of the family as of yesterday, and even his own parents when all he really wanted was the chance to work things out with Momo at their own pace. He knew that they had years for that ahead of them, but at that moment he felt the need to show her that he cared for her in his own way, even if it wasn't how she wanted him to... yet. So, he said nothing and everything with a kiss, hoping that somehow she could understand. He knew that, in a way, they had sealed their fates with that kiss, and that terrified him more than anything before in his life.

As he left for Akito's house he wondered if Tohru had told Kisa the news yet, and if she had what her reaction had been to them.


	18. After all this time

Kisa read Tohru's message for the third time, unable to make sense of the words, or rather, unwilling to:

'_**Last night, at the party, I found out that Hiro-kun is getting married.'**_

Tohru wrote that the whole thing had been decided by Akito, which didn't surprise her at all. It was just like her to impose her decisions, however farfetched they could be, on others. However, she still found it hard to believe. The Hiro she knew would never submit willingly to this… this… plot. It couldn't be that in just two years Akito finally managed to break him, or could it? She started to read the message again. The part about Momiji and Tohru finally making up was just to be expected, but nevertheless it was a relief to know that they could overcome the problem of Momiji's unrequited romantic feelings. Hiro and Kisa weren't so lucky. Kyou was a very fortunate man. Tohru nee-chan was uncommonly kind, affectionate and understanding.

'_**I have some news for you, but I don't know how you're going to take them.'**_

Kisa still didn't know how to take the news. It just didn't make sense. It shouldn't affect her so. She didn't love Hiro after all, so why did it bother her so much to know that he was marrying _**'Momiji's little sister'**_? Kisa tried to recall a memory of Momo, but the last time she'd seen her had been seven or eight years before. Tohru once said that she looked a lot like Momiji, though, and he in turn looked very much like his mother, therefore, Momo looked like their mother… which didn't help at all since for the life of her, Kisa couldn't remember the woman. All she knew about her was that her own mom never liked her, more than likely because of her failure as Momiji's mother.

'_**Momo-chan is a great girl and I like her.'**_ No surprise there, really. Tohru couldn't think badly of anyone, even when presented with evidence on the contrary. Therefore, her assessment of Momo could be flawed. She must've been deceived by the other girl into believing her to be an angel, when in the reality this Momo kid was really the complete opposite.

'Aaaaaaaaaaargh!' All this fruitless thinking was giving her a headache. Was this Momo girl pretty, and more importantly, did Hiro like her? Was he in love with her? He couldn't be, after all, this stupid marriage was not his idea. What was Momiji thinking, giving his baby sister away so easily? Wait… Momo couldn't be so little anymore… She must've been like what, fourteen, fifteen now? Oh, she knew all about fifteen year old girls! They were smart enough to ensnare a gullible boy into the carefully constructed net of mascara enlarged eyelashes, sweet and 'innocent' talk, and swaying hips, just to list a few tricks. Not that she'd ever done any of that, of course, but she'd seen it close enough. Surely Hiro was smart enough to remain immune to it all, wasn't he? He said that he loved her, Kisa! He couldn't change her for a newcomer who didn't know him at all!

Kisa's breath froze in her lungs suddenly as realization struck her.

She was jealous.

After all this time, all the distance, all of her arguments, Kisa was jealous.

'_**I know that you've told me your reasons a million times, but won't you reconsider for Hiro-kun's sake? Send him an e-mail. Just a line will do.'**_

Kisa had a better idea. Maybe it was time to call Hiro.

Just as Hiro stepped out of Akito's house, he saw Momiji and Momo coming. He only dared to give his shy new girlfriend a quick peck on the cheek under the watchful eyes of her big brother, and then he grabbed her hand possessively, pulling her to his side with a light tug. Momiji narrowed his eyes at this, but decided not to comment at the moment. It was more than likely that he'd wait to talk about it with Hiro when his sister wasn't present. Out of the corner of his eye Hiro could see Momo pouting in disappointment at the greeting, but he didn't dare to try anything else right in front of her brother. This situation was new for all involved, so none of them had any idea of what to say or do.

-"Momo doesn't need to see Akito" Hiro calmly stated after an awkward pause. Momiji nodded his acknowledgement, relief all over his face an instant for both teenagers to see. Momo saw her brother ask Hiro something with his eyes, and Hiro answering likewise before Momiji bent down and kissed her goodbye.

-"Be good, kids", he warned with a laugh as he skipped every other step of the stairs into Akito and Shigure's house. Hiro glared to his retreating back, but then he heard Momo giggling and he soon joined her as the irony of the situation sank in. Twice in a day he'd been treated like a child, whereas the head of the family kept demanding him to act like a man. He turned to his bride-to-be.

-"Look what I found! A lost bunny," he said with a smirk. "Turn around. I'm walking you back to your house." Momo walked by his side, a slight bounce in her step, never taking her hand from his. It was moments like this when he found that he really liked her. After a stressful conversation with Akito, it just felt so good to be able to relax and listen to her account of her conversation with Momiji that morning, and then all about that German girl friend of hers whose name he kept forgetting.


	19. Perfect, even if it's not pink

Hiro stood waiting impatiently for Hinata to pick a stuffed animal from the wide selection on display at the toy store. It was just his luck that someone had the lucrative idea of placing that kind of business so close to a school and on plain view of the throngs of children who usually crowded the place along with the unfortunate parents (and older siblings) who were dragged into it by them every day. He'd been there before during the school year, but since they were on vacation, the place was thankfully deserted. While his sister cooed lovingly to a koala, he spotted a yellow bunny sitting on a shelf, with long ears that covered its eyes and fell all the way down to its large feet. It was the perfect size, since it could be hugged as another pillow, but wouldn't take too much space either. Across from it, a bunch of orange tigers seemed to dare him to make a choice, their innocent smiles mocking the irony of the situation. Once he had given a tiger just like those to Kisa. He turned around and reached out to run his hand over the bunny, and was surprised to find out that it was actually softer than it looked. Yes, it was perfect. Rolling his eyes heavenwards to whatever deity who protected big brothers worldwide; he crouched to be at Hinata's eye level to see if she was done yet. He had to laugh at the sight of the little girl rocking the koala cradled in her arms and humming a lullaby.

-"Have you decided yet? Is this the one you're taking home?" Hiro asked with a sigh of fake boredom. There really was no rush, though. He knew that Hinata had all of his morning at her disposal, but there was a limit to the cuteness that any man was willing to bear in a day. He swept the place with a quick glance to make sure that they were alone in the store still, and felt relieved that his reputation was safe for the time being.

-"Yes", she said as she held the toy to her chest with both arms and rubbed her face against the soft fur. Her smile was all he needed to categorize the money he would pay for it an investment and not an expense as he initially thought when he entered the shop.

-"Where's Momo's gift?" she asked with a look of alarm when she saw her brother empty-handed. Honestly! How hard could it be to choose something! This place was full of great things!

Hiro stood up to pick the bunny from the shelf and showed it to Hinata for approval. "What about this one?" The girl got a serious look on her face, evaluating it carefully. She decided that it was pretty enough, but in order for it to be perfect…

-"Why yellow? Girls like pink 'cause it's the best color!", she painstakingly explained to her brother for the _'gazillionth'_ time.

-"Her room is yellow", he simply stated. Hinata thought really hard about that, wrinkling her brow in deep concentration. Hiro feigned sleep after a minute, snores and all.

-"It will do," she said imperiously as if she had just made a big concession. Hiro laughed. He wondered if he was that way too at that age. "You know, I bet the rabbit will get lonely with just a dolly and a bear to play with" she declared in all seriousness. Hiro told her that morning that Momo didn't seem to have any toys besides a doll and a teddy bear, which made it imperative that they visited the toy store that same day. It just wouldn't do, in Hinata's opinion, to have so few toys. How did Momo ever manage to survive with just two!

-"You want to get another rabbit then?" Hiro asked, confused. 'What is it with girls, dolls and stuffed animals?', he thought. Hiro had a hunch that Momo's bed would get crowded soon if Hinata made this king of shopping expedition a regular event.

-"Not a bunny…" Hinata trailed off as she started looking around for something. "Mom said that Momo loves sheep." Hiro smiled. It was just like his mother to say something like that. When Hinata spotted a bunch of sheep up on one of the highest shelves, she ordered Hiro to lift her up so that she could look at them and select one. Just as Hiro decided that Hinata was getting too big (and heavy) to be lifted that way, she asked him to put her down. "This one!" she announced, proud of her choice. "It's not pink, but that's alright 'cause he's a boy," she showed him the blue collar around the white lamb's neck from which a tiny bell hung. Hinata handed the lamb to her brother, who carried it together with the bunny on one arm, barely able to contain his laughter. She reached out her hand for him to take, and he did it automatically. He'd been a big brother for six years already, after all. Hinata knew that she'd trained him well.

When the time came for them to pay for the small zoo they were buying, Hiro reached into his wallet and took out the exact amount with pride. One of the perks of having a job was that he had money to spend that he'd actually earned himself. His bank account was testament of his dislike of using the monthly allowance he still received, and he rarely asked for money to his more than generous parents. The car had been a graduation gift from them, and even then he only started driving it after he got his current job and he was able to pay for fuel and maintenance himself.

Hiro looked at his watch as he buckled up Hinata in the car, and wondered if Kagura had decided to return Momo to her house that Sunday morning yet. Hinata wanted to go straight to her house to give her the presents, and Hiro discovered that he actually couldn't wait to see his girlfriend too. Their relationship was new, and yet it just felt… right. Yesterday, their first official day as girlfriend and boyfriend, they went for a walk under the cherry trees in bloom. How cliché was that? True, it was her suggestion, and she dragged him along most of the way while he ranted about it being something that only happened in manga and anime for girls. She promised to bake his favorite cake if only he went along (quietly) with her plan, but he just wouldn't give in! In the end they laughed about their botched up attempt at a romantic date, and Hiro promised to make it up to her the next day. Clearly, that kind of thing was not for them, and yet, he had to admit (if only to himself) that he kind of enjoyed the experience.

For some reason, Hiro couldn't really care that the whole situation was turning out to be too good to be true. He decided to make the most of it and not to worry in advance about whatever happened in the future. His parents were thrilled about the upcoming engagement, Momiji had no objections and they had Akito's 'blessing', so what could possibly go wrong?.

Hiro was about to start the car when his mobile phone rang. Not recognizing the area code and number, he guessed that whoever was calling had the wrong number. If not, well, they would surely call later if they really wanted to talk to him. Right now, he had a stuffed koala and a hyper six year-old to take care of and a bunny and a lamb to drive safely to Momo's house.


End file.
